The things I do
by Callisto5
Summary: Sequel to Hostile Environment
1. Default Chapter

_Disclaimer:  __I don't own any of the characters or the basic storyline; they belong to others.  I'm not making any money off of this and no infringement is meant._

**Author's note:**  Well, this is it.  The reason I was so reluctant to continue the previous story because this one was sitting in my imagination and refusing to leave me alone.  I sincerely hope all those who do me the honor of reading this story will truly enjoy it.

**The things I do…**

**Chapter 1**

**By Callisto**

**_Jarod's lair_**

**_Green Lake, WI_**

He rolled over, his arm automatically reaching out to embrace his companion, only to find the space next to him cold and empty.  His hand felt the cold sheets as his mind disconsolately processed the memory of their agreement.  It had only been a couple weeks but he missed her to his core.  The soft, silkiness of her, from her hair to her now familiar contours was a source of contentment, desire and strangely enough, freedom.  He lifted her pillow and brought it up to his nose, trying to detect the faint remnants of her perfume.  

The argument they started was innocent enough and in front of his family.  They artfully began bickering about something small, when inspiration hit him and Jarod slid in a sly comment which he knew would regally irk Parker.  His accomplishment was better than he had anticipated.  He watched with growing alarm as her gray eyes darkened with genuine anger.  The ensuing bitter exchange struck at some home truths and ended up with Parker stomping away in a huff and out of his life.  Sighing deeply, he got up naked and depressed and padded barefoot into the bathroom.  He wasn't prepared for the depth of his loneliness and it wasn't something he wanted to get used to again.   

**_Parker's lair_**

**_Cleveland, OH_**

She had been up for a couple hours, unable to get a full night's rest.  The argument she and Jarod had gotten into persisted in sending hot volcanic waves of bile rumbling through her sensitive stomach.  Lying still, she began to wonder what he was doing and how he was feeling, when her inner-sense abruptly decided to answer the questions buzzing around in her mind.  Soft, insistent whispers reassured her that he was not only miserable but shared her loneliness.  Then unbidden, the voices continued to talk, finally giving her the information she had been seeking for the past week.  Slowly rising from her bed, all thoughts of loneliness were forced aside as the last piece of the puzzle slid effortlessly into place.  Her mind whirled at the possibilities, carefully taking note of the explicit warnings she was given.  She quickly got into the shower to get ready for the day, allowing her half-brother, Ethan, a few more minutes sleep before she would awaken him with a completed plan. 

In the next room, Ethan laid in bed, already awake as he listened to the noise of his sister's shower.  He relaxed his body completely under the covers, happy to have this time alone with his sibling.  It had began simply enough.  Jarod had emptied one of his traveling bags, searching for a disc he had stashed there.  Ethan had wandered into the room and was looking at the mess that was Jarod's traveling life when he spotted the corner of a photograph.  The second his fingers brushed against the photocopy, Ethan became mesmerized.  The photo of Catherine Parker and her friend Margaret standing in front of the now defunct Boston bar hypnotized Ethan.  The voices had immediately began speaking to him, telling him to actively search for Margaret and warning that any attempts to extricate her would end up in springing the trap cleverly placed around her.

As he stared up at the ceiling, the voices began speaking to him again, this time shattering his sense of peace and contentment.  He knew his sister received the answer she had been seeking but according to the voices he would need to find the reassuring words to explain to Jarod what he didn't agree with himself. 

Once Parker emerged from the bathroom fully dressed, she padded as quietly as possible into the kitchen to start preparing their breakfast only to be surprised that Ethan had anticipated her by having the food already laid out.  Parker smiled happily at her youngest brother's solemn face knowing he had gotten the same message as she. 

"Good morning.  Judging from that unhappy look on your face, you already know about my plan," she said amicably. 

"I know whatever you've been told that it's going to be dangerous and the risks too high," replied he somberly.

"I realize the risks are high but this is going to be the best opportunity for us to actually grab her.  It's not enough to merely find her; she needs to be returned to her family as well.  That alone makes the risks acceptable." 

"Is this martyrdom a result of your argument?  All you have to do is go back to him, he's as miserable as you are right now," Ethan said earnestly. 

"I know," she answered quietly as a particular segment of her quarrel with Jarod replayed in her mind.  When it appeared as though she were going to win the argument he casually mentioned she should at least be grateful that he had returned to rescue her from the Centre.  "He could have said almost anything, except that.  The last time I waited for someone to rescue me, I was twelve and my mother had just faked her suicide.  Just thinking about it pisses me off all over again," she said heatedly as she tried to shake off her impotent anger.  Recalling the reasons they agreed to do this calmed her raging emotions.

"Speaking of which, our mother was taken from me far too soon, I don't want to lose you, too.  There has got to be a better way." 

"You hear the same messages I do.  You've found her, now it's up to me to make sure they're all reunited.  Don't worry, the Centre won't hurt me, they can't afford to," she said in a reassuring voice. 

"I called Dad, told him that we're close to finding her.  He's agreed to stand by until we've made a move to get her out.  I think that should buy us at least another couple days before he decides to join us," Ethan said sorrowfully.  He loved his sister more than he dared to admit and hated what she was planning but knew she was right; this was the only way.

**_Broots residence _**

**_Powell River, BC_**

Walking stiffly onto the wrap-around porch, Broots stretched and took a long sip of coffee from his homemade mug.  He had spent the last few hours on the Internet checking up on the status of the three projects that were his sole responsibility.  The suburb of Vancouver where he and Debbie had found their new home was much like the one they left back in Delaware.  What had surprised Broots was the comparative ease in which he adapted to taking care of a toddler once again.  Fortunately, Patrick was great company and Broots found himself becoming increasingly fond of the boy.  Patrick fit into the Broots household as though he were born there.  It was agreed between him and Sydney that the child should remain with Debbie since the boy had become extremely attached to her.  

The air here was crisp and clean, birds were singing in the numerous trees on and around Sydney's property.  A sense of contentment seeped gently into his spirit as he looked around the scenic perimeter of yard.  Sydney had brought his home just outside of the town site of Powell River and overlooked the town and river from a gentle rise.  The older man explained it was a replacement of the cabin he was forced to give up once they left the Centre.  

The sounds of the others stirring recalled Broots from his reverie, turning he reentered the house and walked into the kitchen to start up breakfast.  He was looking into the larder trying to figure out what to fix when Sydney cheerily joined him.  Together the two bachelors prepared breakfast for Debbie and Patrick, talking companionably.  All thoughts of the Centre and their former lives had receded momentarily into the recesses of their minds.

**_Downtown/Flats District _**

**_Cleveland, OH_**

The rarified air of the museum had a chemically pleasant smell.  Small and large groups of people wafted through the rooms in undulating tides.  Uniformed school children wandered among the works of art with varying degrees of interest.  Most were more interested in harassing each other rather than paying attention to what the guide was talking about.  All thoughts of their upcoming test covering this field trip were carelessly pushed aside.  The reverberation of numerous whispered conversations created a wave of sound all its own.  In the mist of this sea of sound and pockets of humanity were a few detached individuals slowly cruising the rooms.  One was an optimistic pickpocket, another a couple engaged in a clandestine rendezvous, sprinkled in were a few genuine art lovers and three lone wolves.  The latter continued to wander aimlessly amongst the crowds, attempting to appear inconspicuous.  But for one watching their every move, the three dark suited men stood out like drag queens at a Mormon picnic.  The vigilant observer was uncomfortable in the disguise but succeeded in blending in with any of the groups assembled in the modernistic building. 

A small disturbance involving a loud argument between the afternoon adulterers distracted the security guards and most everyone else in the room, creating a fortunate opportunity for the observer to slip unnoticed from the main room through an unmarked doorway.  The dark hallway was narrow and close causing the small backpack to smack lightly against the wall.  Pausing briefly, the wig and hot body padding were hastily discarded.  The light tread quickened impatiently until finally reaching the widened end of the corridor that offered choices of three separate directions.  Without pause the observer veered to the left and wider hallway.  It was at the second to the last doorway where the observer paused and listened patiently.  All was quiet as the observer reached out and tried the knob. 

She had been working almost non-stop cataloging the latest shipment that came in from the current artiste-de-jour.  The paintings were an eclectic mix of what appeared to be finger paintings and obscene depictions from a clearly disturbed mind which momentarily caused her to side with the reactionary politicians who reviled this form of self expression.  Shaking her head in disgust, she returned to the task at hand.  She was so engrossed in her work that she didn't hear the door behind her open slowly.  It was the hairs on the back of her neck rising that gave her the first inkling that she was no longer alone.  She was bending over a crate and removing the raffia-like packing material when she felt a presence behind her.

"Would you mind handing me that clipboard?  The packers loaded this one in the wrong way, not that I blame them.  It's impossible sometimes to tell which way is up with these paintings," she said amicably to her guest. 

The clipboard appeared at her elbow and she took it from the outstretched hand.  With her back still to her guest, Margaret assessed the situation in her mind.  If the guest were an adversary, she would never have handed her the clipboard.  Margaret breathed in the perfumed scent of her guest but remained on her guard.  In her right hand she clutched the scissors she had used to cut the bindings on the packaging. 

"You won't have a chance to finish that, it's time for you to leave now," the uninvited guest said softly. 

Slowly straightening up, Margaret tensed at the sound of the familiar voice.  She couldn't immediately place where she had heard it before.  "Really?  Why is that?"     

"I'm here to get you out of this place unharmed.  You've been under surveillance for some time and the eyes on you don't give damn about collateral damage." 

"Who are you?" Margaret asked tightly refusing to turn and face this interloper as her suspicious of the woman's identity began to mount. 

"I'm not here to hurt you.  It's about time you returned to your family, they've been worried sick," said the familiar voice whispered casually. 

"You're trying to use me to trap my family.  How much more misery must you heap on us?  We have already suffered enough, let me go!" Margaret stated with a rising voice.

"You're right about being the bait in this particular trap.  There's a small army out there keeping tabs on you, waiting to catch a certain lab rat.  If we're lucky, I'll be able to smuggle you out of here without them seeing," the voice replied calmly.  "Put this on your head—now," the voice ordered, an expensive scarf appeared at Margaret's side but she made no move to take it.  Her hesitation didn't go unnoticed.  "Drop the scissors and put on the scarf, your hair is like a beacon and the last thing you want to do is attract the attention of the sweepers outside," the woman's voice stated patiently.  The muzzle of a pistol tapped lightly on the older woman's spine encouraging her cooperation.  "Oh, yeah, it's silenced."  The perfume from the scarf quickly enveloped her senses as she wrapped it around her hair.  The scent reminded her of a beloved friend's adult child.  A person she had run into for the first time almost a year ago in Scotland.  The same child who had been twisted and corrupted by an organization bent on her family's destruction.  

"We're going to walk out of this back door and into the walkway between the buildings.  I'll leave the walkway and head out towards the sidewalk.  They're going to spot me the second I step in the alley; that's when I'm going to make a run for it.  When you see them following me, wait a few seconds and walk in the opposite direction down the alley, there will be a blue compact at the end of it waiting for you.  The driver will take you to your family.  Don't fight me on this, I won't be coming with you." 

"Why should I trust you?  You've been poisoned by Centre lies your whole life.  All you're trying to do is to use me to capture my son.  I won't help you harm my family," Margaret said with feisty conviction, as her still unseen captor roughly forced her outside through the rear door.

A softly muttered oath escaped the woman's lips as she whispered rebuffs to herself.  "Ethan's right, I'm out of my mind to do this.  The things I do for _him_ and he says he _rescued_ me.  The next time I run into Wonder-rat, he's going to get a personal sample of my left hook.  Well, at least I know this is his mother, he's just like her, hard-headed and blind." 

While the woman continued voicing her stream of conscious thoughts, Margaret found herself being herded unceremoniously towards an alley, just as they were nearing the entrance both women spotted a dark suited man, whose entire demeanor shouted 'The Centre!'  The woman stepped forward from the darkened walkway into the alley and was immediately spotted by a sweeper.  She broke into an all out sprint down the alley and towards the street.  Another sweeper noticed the woman as she neared the busy street, leading the men away from the older redhead in the byway.  Margaret glanced behind her in the walkway and saw a mountain of discarded boxes and garbage blocking the narrow strip.  Turning to watch what the sweepers were up to she saw four muscle-bound men surround Catherine Parker's mirror image and were about to take her into custody when one of them suddenly dropped to the ground.  More muffled shots began to ping around the walls of the alley as the remaining four ducked for cover.  A black, expensive-looking Lincoln Town car pulled up to the mouth of the alley and the three remaining minions pulled their fallen comrade, along with their captive into the car which took off before the rear door was completely shut. 

Margaret stayed in the darkened byway for several minutes until reassured the sniper had moved on with the Centre's kidnappers.  She cautiously stepped from her hiding place and stared at the spot where Miss Parker had been abducted, digesting the clues which the younger woman supplied, wondering if she should trust her.  It was the blaring of a car horn which recalled her thoughts as Margaret stared at the blue compact at the end of the alley.  Her first reaction was to run in the opposite direction but she remembered what Parker had said.  Perhaps it was the younger Parker's resemblance to a dear and beloved friend or perhaps her own judgment played a larger role. Taking a deep breath, she resolved to trust her instincts and hesitantly approached the vehicle.    An anxious looking young man was impatiently beckoning her to get in the car and to make his point further, leaned over and opened the passenger-side door.  Margaret took a deep breath and joined him in the car which took off the minute she sat down.   


	2. Chapter II An unlikely alliance

****

The Things I do…

Chapter II

By Callisto

**__**

Parker's lair

Cleveland, OH 

Ethan sped towards the spacious loft he and his sister rented as their base of operations. It was in the part of Cleveland's warehouse district slated for and experiencing the beginning pangs of gentrification. The bums and drug addicts who had surrounded and inhabited the lower, less secured floors had moved out in search of the more private and neglected digs that remained immune from police attention. 

Ethan was in a state and it showed. The sight of his sister being dragged off by Centre sweepers tore at his heart. Then the shouting pain of the voices in his head began tormenting him. He was sweating heavily, visibly making an effort to keep his emotions in check but was determined to abide by his sibling's instructions. Relying heavily on his instincts, he drove along the accepted route plotted out by his sister which involved numerous short cuts, frequently doubling back and darting down a series of alleys and back streets in order to throw off any pursuers. It was almost two hours later when he arrived with his now frightened passenger in a fresh vehicle at the warehouse. By the time they switched vehicles, Ethan had been reduced to a wild-eyed urgency and brokered no dissent from his father's wife. 

Once inside the warehouse, Ethan bolted the door and rested his back against it, breathing heavily. The part of his mind that wanted to dwell on his sister's sacrifice was thrust hurriedly into the background as he set about completing their plan. Not bothering to look at his prize, Ethan walked over to Parker's cell phone and pushed the speed dial. The phone was answered eagerly on the first ring. 

"No, Dad it's me. I need you to extract us from the Cleveland site; they've got Morwen. There wasn't anything I could do to help her, I was going to ram their car but the sniper fire surprised me. I hesitated for a few seconds and by the time I looked back they already had her," Ethan rambled wretchedly. 

Ethan listened to the phone for a few seconds before answering hysterically, "Please, Dad. Just come and get me, I'm alright, I'll explain everything once we're out of here." Ethan nodded once, said, 'I'll be there' then disconnected the call. 

Finally looking up at Margaret, Ethan said in a quiet voice, "Dad is on the way, he'll take us home." 

Margaret, having listened to his side of the conversation and watching the guilty, horrified expressions on Ethan's face, mutely nodded and sat down to wait. Wondering who this young man's father was; she waited patiently, having little difficulty in believing Ethan was beyond supplying explanations at this point due mostly in part to having little success in extracting anything beyond a monosyllabic response from him. She unconsciously clasped her hands so tightly her knuckles began to turn white.

**__**

Burke Lakefront Airport

Cleveland, OH

The large Towncar sped with arrogant abandon out of Cleveland proper, the driver weaving confidently from one street to the next with the assistance of the expensive vehicle's navigational system. Within a few minutes they were turning into the airport and speeding towards the area reserved for chartered and private jets. The Towncar pulled into a large hanger and the occupants hustled quickly from the car to the waiting jet. Parker by this time had been uncomfortably fitted with a pair of handcuffs; her mouth covered with a large piece of duct tape. Looking around she quickly recognized two familiar figures. The driver had been none other than Raines' personal, enterprising lackey, Willie and standing next to him was a smug-looking Lyle, who was unconsciously messaging his missing thumb. 

"Get her in the jet, now. We're leaving in less than 5 minutes," Lyle ordered briskly. Then turning to Willie he said, "Make sure the Towncar is sanitized and get rid of that," he nodded dismissively at the dead sweeper. "Also check with the team assigned to Jarod's mother, I want to know where they are and who was working with Parker." 

"Yes, sir. Consider it done," Willie replied assuredly as he turned quickly to another sweeper and began carrying out Lyle's orders. 

Once they were in flight, Lyle unbuckled his seatbelt and headed directly for the bar. He made himself a drink and quickly downed the contents. His movements were fluid and well practiced as he efficiently made two more drinks and included ice cubes. Bringing both glasses with him he stood in front of Miss Parker and smiled cynically. He nodded to the sweeper sitting next to her, prompting the man to undo the handcuffs. As she gingerly rubbed sensation back into her hands and removed the duct tape from her mouth, the unmistakable sound of a round being chambered in an automatic pistol directly behind her head, made her look up at Lyle.

"Thanks for the 30 minute head start, Sis. Somehow I feel the need to reward you for your generosity," Lyle said easily as he offered her the drink. When she took the offered beverage, he raised his glass slightly, in a mock salute and continued, "Here's to unexpected reunions. Looks like Dad was right, you just can't keep a Parker down." In one gulp, he polished off the drink. Noticing his twin hadn't touched hers, he nodded thoughtfully and relieved her of it. 

"I take it we're going to the Centre. Why? Why not just kill me now and get it over with?" she asked quietly. 

"Our new father has a few questions he wants to ask you personally. From what I can gather he has some ideas jumping around in that sick skull of his concerning you. Just a friendly suggestion: try to be your usual quiet self around him and you just might come out of the meeting with a minimum of pain. He was very hurt that you joined forces with Jarod to _rescue_ Alex. Geez, Sis, after you ran off, we all suspected there was a little something going on between you and Jarod but a threesome with Alex, I've gotta say that I'm more than a little surprised." 

Parker watched Lyle quietly, letting him drone on uninterrupted. She breathed an unobserved sigh of relief that she hadn't told this flesh-eating nutbag they weren't related. So far his ignorance of the truth had been to her advantage. If he knew the truth, she was convinced that whatever restraints had been keeping him from expressing his physical attraction to her, would disappear and the results would be the stuff of her worst nightmares. 

**__**

Ferry Terminal

Sandusky, OH

Ethan and Margaret had only to wait a few minutes before another car pulled up behind them. The vehicles remained that way for a few seconds before Ethan's phone began to ring. Pulling it out, he answered, "Dad is that you?"

Quickly hanging up, Ethan got out and ducking back into the car, he beckoned Margaret to follow him. Margaret pulled her dark jacket around her thin body more tightly, then exited the vehicle. Parker's dark blue Hermes scarf continued to obscure her red hair as she followed her troubled and mysterious benefactor to his father's car. He shoved the two traveling bags he packed at the loft into the open rear window of the second vehicle. It was then that Ethan did something unusual. Once he finished with the baggage, he turned and for the first time in their short acquaintance, addressed her directly, looking into her eyes with a mixture of empathy and affection he said, "I'll give you a few minutes. If you need anything, I'll be over there." He then retreated and headed over to the water's edge. 

Puzzled, Margaret leaned over and peeked into the car. As she did this she encountered a visage she had long given up hope of ever finding again. Her whole body drew up in surprise. She quietly muttered a name and was gratified by the driver getting out of the car and walking over to her. They stared at each other for several seconds as their immediate surroundings disappeared and the world shrank down to only them. 

Ethan looked over his shoulder as his father reunited with his wife. It had been many years and they deserved as much privacy as the circumstances warranted. The voices in his head reassured him that Morwen's evading tactics worked on the team assigned to keep tabs on Margaret, so Ethan breathed a dissatisfied sigh of relief as he went over in his mind how to explain what happened to Jarod. 

**__**

Green Lake, WI

Two days later, Margaret's reunion with her family had been accomplished. There were so many tears and whispered endearments that poor Ethan could only watch from a distance. After an hour of the family smiling incredulously at each other, Ethan stepped out onto the back patio and ran a hand distractedly through his hair. He missed Morwen terribly but didn't want his depressed sprits to dampen the joy of Margaret's return. He wandered towards the lake where he was surprised to find Emil sitting at the end of the dock, dangling his legs over the side, absorbed in the view.

"Hey, why aren't you inside with everyone else?" 

"I guess I'm waiting for the explanations to finish. I can't imagine it will be easy explaining to my mother that I'm a clone of her son. I suppose what I'm really waiting for is to find out where they're going to place me in the family circle. I guess it's the same with you?" Emil asked curiously, finally noticing his brother's distress. "Where's Parker?" 

"She was captured by the Centre. It was the only way to get Margaret back, now all I can do is wait," Ethan replied miserably. 

"Does Jarod know what happened?" Emil asked anxiously. 

"No, but I'm about to ask. What happened? Why didn't she come with you?" asked a quiet voice from behind them as Jarod strolled onto the dock.

Turning, an emotionally exhausted Ethan struggled to retain his composure. Looking in Jarod's face he quietly told his half-brother everything that happened, including Parker's knowledge that their plan would result in her capture and her insistence in keeping the plan between them until Margaret was safely returned. Jarod listened with outward calm, inside he felt his heart seize and blood run cold. Resignedly, he sat down on the dock bench and stared out at the water. After several minutes, he quietly asked Ethan to repeat everything he said. Ethan promptly complied, supplying every detail that came to mind. As he finished, Ethan watched as Jarod lowered his head into his hands. The dock became quiet, only the sounds of the gently lapping water broke the stillness. 

"I told you to take good care of her, Genius. So this is your idea of looking out for her? If I wanted her dead, I would have done the job myself," a quietly enraged voice asked from the shore. 

Looking up the three men noticed an extremely angry man standing in ankle deep water, pointing a silenced 9mm at Jarod's chest. Ethan stared at the man, wondering who he was and why he was there. He was about Jarod's age, with straight, dark brown hair, fair complexion and slender build. There was a single-mindedness about him and his expression went beyond anger—instead he seemed livid but the emotion stayed in his eyes and didn't effect his aim in the least. 

"Alex, if you had been eavesdropping as long as I suspect then you heard what Ethan said, she knew the risks and insisted on going ahead with the plan. She didn't bother telling me about her crazy idea for obvious reasons. There wasn't anything he or I could have done," Jarod said wearily, seemingly unconcerned about the weapon pointed at his chest. 

"Why was she out there on her own in the first place!" Alex yelled furiously. 

"We wanted to try and locate Margaret, to bring the whole family together. It was something our mother predicted I would do. Morwen knew I needed solitude to concentrate and she wanted to come with me--to pool our efforts. We knew the rest of Jarod's family would keep unintentionally interrupting me so to divert attention away from what we wanted to do; she and Jarod staged an argument so we could leave without anyone becoming suspicious. It was also meant to give Emily and my father some time to adjust to the reality of their relationship. There wasn't any way for us to know the best chance of grabbing Margaret would come up so quickly," Ethan explained. 

"Who the hell are you?" Alex asked brusquely. 

"My name is Ethan, Morwen is my sister. Who the hell are you?" he asked calmly. 

"Alex, she's my twin and someone has to pay for her capture," he said as he pulled back the hammer on the automatic. 

"Then blame Lyle. He's the one Raines assigned to watch my family. I thought _you_ had that situation under control," Jarod replied with a touch of his own anger. 

"He ran for a while and just when I had tired of the chase and was on the brink of taking him out, he returned to the fold like a homing pigeon. I followed him back from Australia where he was holed up. I was just about ready to grab him up when I saw my sister being abducted by a bunch of his goons. I fired a few shots but it was too late, they already had her." 

The despair and horror of his loss galvanized into uncompromising anger, Jarod looked up suddenly, stood and meeting Alex's eyes said, "I want her back alive and you're going to help me. I don't give a damn about anything else."

Lowering his weapon, Alex could see that the Centre had finally pushed their prized pretender into a place they never anticipated. Smiling grimly, Alex thought working with Jarod ought to be interesting. 


	3. Chapter III Home sweet Centre

Disclaimer: See chapter 1 for details.

Author's note: For those who may not know, Faust is a character who was being wooed by the Devil into giving up his soul for a farthing. And as we all know, Raines can't act worth beans, though the actor who plays him is brilliant.

****

The things I do…

Chapter III

By Callisto 

**__**

The Centre

Blue Cove, DE 

"Welcome home, Miss Parker," wheezed the lying representative of Mephistopheles. "The recognition of you're formal fall from grace has been long overdue. I must admit that you had us fooled all this time with your reassurances of actively trying to recapture Jarod." He paused for awhile taking deep draughts of air from his bottled supply; never allowing his stare to waver from her face for more than a few seconds. When he realized she wouldn't verbally spar with him; he nonchalantly drew his hand back and slapped her smartly across the face. The sound of the blow was loud but the victim continued to impassively stare out of the window, ignoring her attacker. Smiling with approval, Raines slowly walked behind his desk and seated himself. 

"You will finally experience the treatment which should have always been given you. My brother was too soft, too sentimental. I often warned him that sparing the rod would spoil you and time has proven me correct. Your new home will be on Sublevel 8 and you will follow the same rules and regulations given to our other inmates. I hope this will be a lesson to you, my child," he said with deep insincerity and enthusiasm. Still watching her expressionless face, he nodded curtly to his personal guard, who lifted Parker to her feet and escorted her out of the office. Releasing a deep sigh of satisfaction, Raines looked at Lyle and smiled grimly. 

"So how does it feel to see your twin in this position?"

"I would have preferred a slightly different set of circumstances. While we're on the subject, I would like to spend some quality time with her. When Mr. Parker was alive, she was too independent and resistant to new ideas. I was also a bit reticent about asking him to arrange it because he doted on her so much," Lyle probed dispassionately. 

Glancing at his former pupil, Raines successfully hid his abrupt and almost overpowering feeling of disgust. He was a lot of things and there were places he had willingly, if not eagerly, gone that in his younger years would have horrified him. However, there were still a precious few points of depravity which still had the power to disgust him—incest was one of them. He was fully aware that Lyle wasn't Miss Parker's twin but the sociopath wasn't. Planting the idea and then supplying the supporting evidence in the form of a forged lab report was essential in getting Lyle under control. He had been a Triumvirate darling and was well on the way to reestablishing himself with that group if it hadn't been for Miss Parker's 'discovery'. Apparently his protégé had outstripped him by eagerly experimenting with the depths of his own decadence.

Instead of answering Lyle, Raines stated, "she is to be kept isolated in her cell for the next 12 hours. Afterwards, I want a full battery of physical tests to be run on her. I want to know everything about her physically; from how much she weighs to how far she can run before passing out. Her intellectual tests I will conduct myself." Noticing that Lyle still hadn't moved, he continued menacingly, "From your last reports, our insinuation into the target network is nearing completion and we should anticipate our newest acquistition within the next few months. If that fails to retain your attention, we still have two pretenders out there waiting to be caught. I suggest if you don't want to join your twin in the cells that you get to work immediately."

**__**

Sydney's residence

Powell Lake, BC 

Broots and Sydney were lounging on the spacious porch with two steaming mugs of hot chocolate Debbie had prepared for them resting on a small table between their chairs. This was the first time in several months both men had a chance to really relax and take in their new circumstances. The view from the porch was spectacular; the blue expanse of the sky was clear and endless, matching the tranquil blue of the lake. A light, chill breeze wafted intermittently through the covered porch encouraging the loungers to wear warm clothing but not discouraging them from their vigil. 

"Sydney, tell me more about your brother, Miss Parker's father. Do you think he was aware that she was his daughter?"

"He must have been. The night of the accident he said there were things going on at the Centre I refused to see. Over the years, I've kept getting tiny bits of the puzzle. Now I think I have enough pieces to make out the picture. A few years ago, I told you about the scene a set of twins at the twin's convention had spoken to me about. To jog your memory, they told me of an altercation they had witnessed between Jacob and Raines. The argument had gotten so heated that Raines pulled a gun on Jacob threatening him. It was something Jacob had never told me and my guess is that he must have done or wanted to do something Raines refused to allow. Now I believe it had something to do with either Catherine or her daughter, perhaps both." 

"Catherine Parker seemed like such a classy lady, it's hard to imagine her sleeping with someone like Raines, especially when she was friends with his wife. I'm not naïve, I know that sort of thing happens every day. It's just from everything I've heard about her, Catherine Parker doesn't strike me as that kind of person," he concluded with a thoughtful shake of his head. 

"No, she wasn't. The only way Raines could have fathered Miss Parker is by artificial insemination. The Centre was always ahead of the curve when it came to medical research and its implementation." 

"It's hard to imagine a turkey baster being cutting-edge science," Broots replied morosely. "But yeah, I know what you mean. I remember the labs at Donaterese." 

Sydney's brow furrowed and he stared off into the horizon, deep in thought. Broots saw his friend's change in demeanor and knowing something new had occurred to him, he refrained from breaking Sydney's concentration. 

"Broots, what if it was something simple, what if they _knew_ what Raines had been planning?" 

"What are you talking about Sydney?" Broots asked in confusion. 

"What if they weren't having an affair but somehow Jacob found out what Raines was planning on doing?" Sydney asked as the idea took on a more defined shape and form. Glancing at his friend and noticing the perplexed expression on his face, Sydney continued hurriedly, "Catherine must have known that Mr. Parker was impotent. She was depressed because of her failing marriage and the inability of her husband to father a child with her. She must have willingly agreed to an alternative donor. Catherine had told Jarod that Ethan was conceived by Raines impregnating her using Major Charles' seed. What if the same was done to create both Miss Parker and Jarod?" 

"You mean that they are half-siblings? Jarod and Miss Parker?" Broots asked in a horrified voice. There had been rumors that Miss Parker had been sent to kill Mr. Lyle before she was aware they were twins but to find out that she was sent to chase down her own half brother as well was beyond twisted. 

"Yes and no. They were intended to be half siblings but Raines in his effort to use his own seed was thwarted. In Catherine's case, what if Jacob had found out what Raines was planning on doing and substituted his own sperm for Raines'? Raines must have run some simple blood tests on Catherine's children and discovered they weren't his. Jacob might have tried a similar substitution again and Raines caught him." 

"And that's why Raines wanted him or better, both of you out of the way. It was common knowledge that Mr. Parker wanted his daughter to eventually run the Centre. The last thing either Mr. Parker or Mr. Raines would have wanted was to have her real father pop up out of nowhere. The attempts on your brother's life were so that no one would ever know the truth or try that again," Broots continued excitedly after catching Sydney's train of thought. "Sydney, what about this? What if at NuGenises instead of helping the parents produce their own children, they are duping couples into having children produced with the genetics of other people? You know take either the eggs or sperm from a pretender and use it to create a child. The parents are carefully screened and desperate enough not to ask too many questions." 

"What little I know of the NuGenesis project, your theory isn't much of a stretch. The main wrinkle in producing children is that it can be a very inexact science. The couples aren't prohibited from having sex, a child could actually be produced by the test subjects unintentionally." 

An unconscious shiver crept down Broots' spine at Sydney's reference to loving and desperate parents trying to have a child. "Yeah and what if that happened to Jarod? His parents weren't able to have a kid then when they go to NuGenises and submit themselves to the usual tests and treatments, then they find out—surprise! The treatments that usually don't work, for once actually did. Bigger surprise, the parents not only produced a kid but a gifted one at that. Those scientists must have been tearing their hair out trying to figure out how it happened." 

"My God, Jacob was right. I was blind, the clues were all there staring me in the face. Unfortunately, the more I think about some of the strange happenings at the Centre the more I realize what I refused to see," Sydney replied sadly. 

"The screwed-up part here is that Raines considers everyone involved as his personal lab rats—Miss Parker included. I can't imagine him ever giving up on the idea of recapturing them to continue on with his twisted brand of medical research," Broots said with deepening disgust. 

**__**

The Centre 

Blue Cove, DE 

The accommodations were pretty much the same as when she had last seen them several years ago. Wandering around the spacious room and taking in the decorations, Parker settled in a comfortable chair to wait for Raines to show up. The past few days were trying to say the least; the battery of tests he forced her to take were exhausting and pointless—unless, of course, you're an old torturer who likes to know the physical limitations of his victims. All the information he gathered was easily accessible from her former physical exam taken shortly before she made the decision to leave and was able to do so without endangering her friends/colleagues in the process. The blood tests must have picked up on Emil's pregnancy serum, her personal contingency plan just in case the worse case scenario occurred. She had injected herself with the serum using a tiny kit he had supplied her which she had hidden in her hair, next to her scalp. The serum must have shown up in the tests or she wouldn't have been transferred to Jarod's private sim digs—the rooms designed for him when he was being a good little pretender.

Leaning back in the overstuffed chair, she relaxed her mind and sought the voices which had been advising her since they had first guided her down this strange path. Margaret must now be safe with her family and Jarod—no, she wouldn't allow herself to think about him just yet. Instead, she concentrated on her mother and was soon rewarded by hearing the familiar soothing voice in her mind. Smiling happily, Parker relaxed her body automatically and the comforting vision of her mother appeared before her closed eyes. 

Unaware that she had been sitting in the chair for over an hour, her attention was recalled by the opening of her cell door. Her elderly, demented captor was putting on one of the lousiest performances of the Faustian protagonist she had ever seen. At least Faust got slick, all she got was old, cheesy and breathless.

"Mind telling me why I'm here instead of my usual 'plush' accommodations?" she asked sarcastically. 

"I want you comfortable and rested for the upcoming evaluations. So far you have performed better than I could have anticipated. Continue to cooperate and you will be rewarded," he said confidently as his soulless eyes regarded her with greedy interest. 

"I was already tested to see if I was a pretender, let's cut to the chase—I'm not. Whatever else you have spinning around in that demented brain of yours will be just another waste of time. You're going to have to skip to the fun part where you kill me outright," she countered with fading interest. 

"Your prior tests were, shall we say, tainted. New tests have been ordered for you. I am also extremely curious about the awakening of your inherited gift, your mother's inner sense. There isn't any point trying to deny it; I know you also possess the ability. Exploring the limitations and applicable uses that would ultimately profit the Centre will be the next challenge. I already have a few ideas on that front," he replied enjoying her sudden apprehensive demeanor and her mercurially depressed expression. "You seem at a loss for words, Miss Parker. It's refreshing to see you are finally learning your true place," said the old man with a note of triumph.

"That's because your deodorant gave up its losing battle several hours ago and I was forced to take a breath of this polluted air. One thing I have always known is that any place is good as long as it's downwind from you," she replied caustically.

Raines stared at her blankly for several minutes, then turned and left her alone, his bodyguards trailing behind him like spiked tail. 

Several minutes after he had left, Parker rose from her seat and paced the room fretfully. Putting on a show for her watchers, she was instead relieved at the prospect of being allowed to stay in these rooms since she was betting that the old passageway she used when as a lonely and neglected child she would visit Jarod, still existed. 

A few days later, Parker was lying on a thin mattress in a sterile, dormitory room—an exact replica of the original quarters she was kept in upon her return to the Centre. Her head throbbed excruciatingly, forcing her deeper inside of herself to separate the pain from her awareness. Several minutes later, her breathing having calmed and slowed, the sound of soft, barely audible scratching came from the air vent in her room. Smiling slightly, she cracked open her tired eyes and focused on the vent. Through the grating she could see the vague form of someone silhouetted in the shadows. She wearily sat up; leaning against the wall and pulling the thin blanket around her body shielded her hands from the camera's view. With the cover of the blanket concealing her movements, she gracefully signed using the old code Jarod had developed for them as children. Her movements had become more fluid in the intervening days as she reacquainted herself with the code. 

'Hello, what kept you? I've been waiting for sometime, are you alright?' 

A light tapping sound answered her using the same code. 'Angelo fine, came to check on you. Have been here 20 minutes waiting.' 

'Sorry, Raines had a very tiring sim he wanted me to complete, still trying to get me to use my gift. Have you eaten already?' 

'Not hungry, what about you?'

'Same but at least I forced myself to choke down some of that disgusting green stuff the cafeteria keeps pushing. You should eat more and take better care of yourself. Sydney isn't here to look after you anymore.' 

'Why worry? Never did before.' 

'That was before, when I had a reputation to maintain. You're visits have kept me from giving up and I'm selfish enough not to want them to stop.'

'Never give in, will lose soul if you do.' There was a pause in the tapping and then it began again. "Mother still talk?'

'Yes. Says it's time for me to leave, haven't found a way out of here yet, I only know the way out from Jarod's private sim room.'

'Give what he wants, will return to other room. Leave then.' 

'What about you? I won't leave without you, not negotiable.' 

'No worry, will be fine.'

'Then I will have to try and hold out till Jarod comes to 'rescue' me. He will be so happy,' she signed with an indulgent roll of her eyes. The room fell into silence and after a while she thought he had left. 

'No more, Daughter. Friend again. Medicine helped, tricked them.' 

'Yep. Prior, proper planning. At least they won't try injecting me with anything or subject me to some of those horrible experiments I'd kept hearing about. Voices want us to leave in next couple days, will need your help.'

'Way out still same, no need help.' 

'Voices say you should come with me,' she lied smoothly. 'I'll drag you out if I have to; this place is no longer anyone's home. You aren't safe here and there is no one left to make sure you're okay.' 

'Lady wants to help Angelo. Will come. Dangerous for lady to stay." A soft shuffling followed his tapping. Parker laid down again on her lumpy mattress, waiting patiently for her guard dog, Praetorian sweeper to return her to the si m lab. She would solve the simple test sim Raines presented to her—she had figured out the solution within seconds of being explained what the problem entailed. A major consolation was that Raines believed her inner sense worked in the same way as Ethan's, fortunately it didn't. Once she was in Jarod's old room, she would take Angelo and make a run for it. Her inner sense had already shown her that she would be successful. She lay there trying to figure out where the car her mother was leaning on had came from. 


	4. Chapter III Plans & Cell phones

Disclaimer: Please see Chapter 1for the usual statements 

**** ****

The things I do…

Chapter IV

By Callisto

**__**

Jarod's lair 

Green Lake, WI 

Shortly after learning of Parker's capture, Jarod spent the remainder of the day and all of the next speaking to his mother exclusively. He asked her the questions about his birth, identity and capture which had been plaguing him most of his life. He included questions that came up during his brief stay on Carthis as well as doubts Alex had raised in his mind after he shot Mr. Parker. Margaret stared at her son solemnly, never questioning how he knew to ask these questions. She was relieved to finally share the secrets she had been forced to keep with her son. She answered as many questions as she could, pausing often to control her emotions—especially her guilt over losing her eldest child to an organization determined to bend him to their will. 

The next day, Jarod spent picking Alex's brain about the technical details concerning the Centre and Triumvirate servers, he then sequestered himself in the barn loft for several days, never coming out or speaking to anyone except his new ally. Alex was surprisingly calm and industriously coordinated his and Jarod's ideas into a definitive course of action, while inhabiting the lower portion of the barn. He had returned to his old, amiable, scary self often mirroring Jarod by disappearing into the barn for most of the day and emerging only for an occasional snack.

The rest of Jarod's family were torn between their disbelieving happiness in finally being fully reunited and the pervasive guilt over the cost. Margaret viewed both Ethan and Emil with a mixture of horrified empathy and grim understanding. It wasn't a shock to her that the Centre had managed to create two more people to serve as their slaves and experiments. From what she could see, both were exceptional individuals in their own right, despite the attempts made to capitalize on their talents. Fortunately for Emil, Margaret was eagerly willing to accept him as her own son. The explanation concerning his name caused much amusement as Emily recounted Emil's thought process. She assured her mother that his choice of name was due in large part to his admiration of a certain famous French novelist and only partially because he wanted a closer connection to his sister. 

Ethan mysteriously became more at ease over the loss of his sister; however, he too withdrew from the family but to a much lesser degree than Jarod. Ethan spoke to Alex as much as the other would allow and appeared intrigued by his half-brother. It was obvious that Ethan had received some valuable input from his voices but he refused to talk about it with anyone. 

At the start of the second week of his sister's abduction, Alex's patience had run its course. He announced that he would be leaving for the Centre the following day, with or without Jarod. His declaration was greeted with disapproving silence. Major Charles rose from his place next to his wife on the couch and quietly excused himself. He left the house and strode purposely towards the barn, resolute on getting an answer from his son and to offer his assistance. He could understand Jarod's horror at losing the woman he loved but he wouldn't allow his son to continue to wallow in recriminations and descend completely into a mindset of vengeance.

Turning to Alex, Ethan looked at him and said in a quiet voice, "there's no need to rescue her yet, no one at the Centre will harm her," he explained incompletely. 

"How do you know? The voices chiming reassuring tunes in your head? So far as I can see, they haven't helped her at all. I'm not taking any chances on Lyle playing nice because a few disembodied voices that only you can hear says so," Alex sneered cruelly. 

Ethan stared at his half-brother emotionlessly, as though he already knew what Alex's reaction would be, further irritating the sociopath. Alex was about to verbally strike out again when a sudden miasmic feeling enveloped him, culminating in a rush of blinding, throbbing pain in his head. Gritting his teeth, Alex waited for this latest spell to pass. When he partially regained his equilibrium, Alex glanced at Ethan who continued to watch him impassively.

"I guess now I can understand your concern," Ethan replied as he took Alex by the arm and assisted him to a nearby chair. "Our mother was very gifted and passed her abilities on to all of us. Yours seems different than mine or Morwen's, how does it work?" 

Margaret, Emil and Emily were watching Ethan and Alex with interest and had witnessed Alex's curious near-fainting spell. They sat quietly waiting to see if Alex would brush off the question or answer Ethan honestly. When Alex didn't immediately reply, Ethan continued, "the voices said that you were touched by our mother's abilities as much as I or Morwen. It helps sometimes to talk about it, to know you're not alone; Morwen realized that when she discovered her ability and started using it."

"I don't know anything from this so called 'inner sense'," Alex said disgustedly. "Sometimes I get overwhelmed with a rush of emotions that I know aren't my own. It's the reason why I always knew I had a connection with someone else. The things I feel don't always make any sense. It was sometime later, after I started working for the Triumvirate that I learned the truth of their origins. My Centre training helped keep the spells at bay, almost erasing them completely. Now they're coming back with a vengeance."

"Can you communicate with her? Have you ever tried?" Ethan asked excitedly. 

"When I was a kid, I thought if I concentrated on a particular feeling that I could get the person projecting it to answer back but it never worked. I only feel what she's going through when the emotion is particularly strong and she's in the mood for sharing. Get that look off your face, I'm not a human cell phone," Alex snapped dismissively. 

"Looking at a bright light, like a candle, helps me. Give it a try, maybe you can get through to her," Ethan insisted. 

"This is ridiculous! All I know is that she needs out of there and I'm going to make sure it happens," Alex retorted as he started to rise. 

Ethan stood above his brother, blocking him and demanded with equal determination. "Before you ride off into the sunset to rescue her, tell me what she was feeling. What did you sense from her?" 

The change in Ethan's demeanor caused Alex to pause. There was a subtle hint of menace and violence shinning devilishly in his eyes. A small spark of respect touched Alex and instead of brushing his younger sibling aside, he answered him. "She's exhausted, bone tired and has a crushing headache. I've felt that way before, when they wanted me to create a complex sim, pretending to be both the target as well as the antagonist, anticipating numerous outcomes and ramifications as well as designing the operation. Whether you're used to it and especially if you're not, sims are exhausting mentally as well as physically. They're trying to use her like they used me and Jarod." 

Backing off, Ethan considered Alex's analysis of their sister's situation, measuring it against what the voices were telling him. Reluctantly he had to agree with Alex that now was the time to act. Knowing his sister would need him; Ethan nodded absently to himself and resolved to go with Alex. 

In the barn, the Major looked around dourly at the evidence of Alex's inhabitation. Climbing the ladder to the upper loft, the Major found Jarod staring at his laptop monitor unblinkingly. He walked over to his son and sat across from him. Jarod continued to ignore his father's presence as he started typing feverishly on the keyboard. After a few minutes, Jarod looked up at his father. 

"It's been over a week since anyone in the family has seen you. We're all worried about you, son. Talk to me, what are you working on? If you have a plan to help Miss Parker, tell us. You know we'll help all we can or at least give you some moral support," the Major said struggling to control his emotions. 

Deftly dividing his attention, Jarod answered his father. "Alex and I have been having lengthy discussions about the Centre and the best course of action to take. What he has been telling me has filled in some of the holes in my own understanding of the Centre. I always suspected their methods to be brutal, but this is beyond anything even I could have imagined. What it all boils down to is this: there isn't much you can do to help us. Alex and I will help each other for now since our goals are the same. We both want Parker back and we want the Centre out of our lives permanently . Alex still wants to bring it down; I want to build the life I was denied with Parker." His voice cracked softly since he hadn't used it most of the day.

"What are you doing with the computer?"

"I've developed a backup plan to in case we aren't successful. If we are, this will be the icing on the cake," Jarod answered with a ghost of a smile.

"Alex just announced he is leaving for the Centre tomorrow, are you going with him?" 

"Yes. I want Parker back with me, where she belongs. This will be the last time the Centre takes anyone away from me," Jarod replied as his focus shifted to another thought going through his mind.

"I know I sound like a broken record but if you thought I didn't trust Parker before, I trust her twin even less. Whatever you do, we need a contingency plan just in case things don't go the way you expect. We need to know if something has gone wrong immediately, rather than biting our nails wondering what has happened to you."

"I understand why you feel that way. However, Alex has the lead on this; his tactics are more immediate than mine. I've already implemented my strategy but its effects are more long term and will be more destructively effective. I'm just about finished here. I'll come up with a plan we can all agree on to keep in touch so you don't worry." 

"When you go, try to keep your own guilt over this situation in check. Ethan explained what happened to us, she did this for you. All couples have arguments, don't let that cloud your judgment." 

Staring at his father, Jarod realized Ethan had kept to himself that his and Parker's argument had been contrived. The fact that he had genuinely affronted her still niggled at Jarod's heart. 

**__**

The Centre 

Blue Cove, DE 

Lyle lounged in his office chair and considered his options. His newest project had proven his value to both his new father as well as the Triumvirate. Innovation had always held an interest for him and implementing a strategy to breathe life in an abandoned plan was almost fun. Glancing at his notes, Lyle knew this project would be a thumping success and would hopefully buy his way out of the Centre and return him to his rightful place in Africa. The only regret in his mind was that his lovely twin would not be there with him to envy and wonder at his glorious return. Currently, his sister was performing well under Raines' special brand of pressure which caused him some concerns. Raines was still running tests and administering study sims to find out Parker's strengths as a pretender. At first her test scores were average but when Raines started with the threats to actively use a sweeper team to ferret out Broots and Sydney's whereabouts, her performance improved dramatically, so much so as to cause Raines to temporarily reward her by allowing her to return to the more comfortable rooms Jarod had once used. 

What concerned Lyle was the fact that his sister was performing far better than even Raines had anticipated. Still she wasn't on a level with Jarod but one of the hopeful psychiatrists, during a monthly assessment meeting with the Tower, let it slip that had she been trained from childhood she might have been a viable back up for Jarod. The psychiatrist was eager to be assigned to a talented pretender and Parker was shaping up as a likely candidate who possessed untold depths of potential. Lyle had taken those tests only 5 years ago at the behest of the Triumvirate, shortly before his fall from grace. His scores were just above average, indicating that while he wasn't a genius, he wasn't in any way an intellectual slouch either. This introduced a bevy of ideas to his mind, mainly that perhaps he had been told yet another lie and Parker wasn't his twin sister after all. Or that the damage he had suffered at Mr. Lyle's hands when he was a child had affected him in more ways than one.

He wanted to talk to Parker once again but all access to her had been strictly prohibited except for Raines and the one proctor/psychologist who was a Sydney type clone. Lyle had been quick to notice the subtle flicker of disgust that sparked in Raines' eye when he asked for some quality time alone with his sister. That evil, duplicitous old man had taken his request the wrong way, just as Lyle had wanted. He decided there wasn't anything he could do but wait until Parker clashed with their mother's murderer causing him to return her to the stark cells in retaliation. Perhaps then to get her to cooperate, Raines would then allow Lyle his audience with her. If she had the right answers to his questions, then maybe he would extend an offer she would find difficult to refuse: half control of the Centre, a bifurcation of leadership and power which would lead the Centre in a whole new and prosperous direction. 


	5. Chapter V While you were out

Disclaimer:  See Chapter 1 for the usual statements.

Author's note: I hope everyone who does me the honor of reading this story, truly enjoys it.  Thanks 

The things I do…

Chapter V

By Callisto 

**_The Centre _**

**_Blue Cove, DE_**

Wakefulness stole into her consciousness with steely efficiency.  Her internal alarm clock was usually doggedly accurate, assuring her that the time had to be just before 6 a.m. She allowed a lazy yawn to escape her lips and stretched each limb purposely.  If the guards had been watching, they would have assumed that she was completely at home in confinement.  In stark contrast to her dungeon like cell these comfortable rooms she had been returned to were adequately heated, the bed reasonably comfortable.  She knew she had only an hour before the lights in the room were automatically switched on, so she got up slowly, giving the appearance of being groggy.

The baggy Centre issued pajamas flapped loosely on her thin frame as she padded over to the bathroom, which provided her minimal privacy from the watchful eyes of the cameras.  She splashed cold water on her face and drank some of the liquid to soothe her dry throat.  Her nails tapped in staccato rhythm on the side of the metal sink.  A soft answering tap assured her the plan was still in place and her residence in her lover's former rooms was about to come to an end.  

Returning to the main rooms she sauntered as quickly as she dared towards the thickly upholstered chair that was sitting near the bed.  In the small space between the bed and chair was a night stand and an area in which Parker had gotten her handlers used to seeing her curl up in when she had been returned here after a long day of putting up with Raines' never ending tests.  Without pausing, she eased the nightstand aside with her feet while slowly using her back to shove the chair further away from the bed, clearing the way and making more room for her to maneuver.  Behind the nightstand was an air vent grate, securely attached to the wall.  Jarod had never attempted to escape through these vents, so the powers that be had left this opening untouched.  Frowning slightly, the last time she had a good look at this vent, she had been twelve years old and it had been a great deal larger.  Mentally shrugging she hoped Angelo was right and she would be able to squeeze her way through the opening.  'At least during the past 2 weeks I can't complain about gaining any weight,' she thought grimly, completely unaware that she had dropped several pounds.    

It took her a bit more time than she had originally allowed to work her body, feet first through the opening, then hanging partially out of the opening she pulled the furniture back into its original position and replaced the grate carefully.  By the time she was done, 10 minutes had elapsed and she was winded.   For a few seconds she bowed her head, wondering how she thought she was going to squeeze through this part of the vent backwards.  When she was a child, it was a maneuver she could perform in under a minute, now she suspected it would take at least another 10-15 minutes to get to the junction she needed to reach in order to start her journey.   The going was slow as she began backing up through the vents.  She had gotten about 2 feet away from her cell vent when she felt a pair of hands wrap around her ankles.  A light tapping on the bottom of her foot caused her to relax her body completely.  Immediately she began to slide effortlessly backwards through the vent as Angelo pulled her towards the roomier juncture. 

**_The Centre – outer access road 5A _**

**_Blue Cove, DE_**

Wrapped securely in industrial grade protective clothing, the two men entered the heavily secured sewage tunnel that connected to the less secured county access tunnel.  The men worked in concert as they sloshed purposely towards the grand edifice almost half a mile away.  Daypacks wrapped in thick plastic were strapped to their backs.  Goggles and heavy-duty facemasks protected their eyes and faces from whatever horror the Centre saw fit to flush down the sewer.  They easily got past the intermittent electronic security installed in the Centre's sewer tunnels and trotted double-time through the passageways towards their goal.  Fifteen minutes later the men arrived at a vertical access channel, which led into the interior bowels of the Centre.  Neither man was breathing heavily, the time they had spent together in the Wisconsin barn had been partially used in training for the physically demanding task they had been planning in order to retrieve a person who had recently become extremely important to both of them.

Without speech or much sign language, they quickly climbed the metal ladder embedded in the concrete wall and found themselves in a small room secured by an impenetrable steel studded door with a convenient key-card panel on one side of the lock.  Jarod turned his back to Alex, who relieved his unlikely partner of his backpack and held on to it, while Jarod efficiently unwrapped the plastic covering and started rummaging through it.  Instead of pulling out a gadget that would go through a set of computations to figure out the correct code, Jarod pulled out a tiny pen light, a small canister, a tiny square of aluminum and a pair of tweezers.  

If he had bothered to look at his companion, Jarod would have noticed Alex suddenly relaxing his shoulders in defeat and roll his eyes in disgust.  It was obvious Jarod was going to pull a MacGyver on the lock.  In less time than an electronic lock pick would have taken finding the code, Jarod had the door open and the backpack restrapped to his back as they continued their journey through the lower levels of the Centre.     

Minutes later they had reached the main mezzanine level using the boiler access tunnels.  It was just after 6 a.m. when they cautiously opened the curiously well-oiled door and entered a deserted corridor.  They hurried down a hallway and found an empty room with a conveniently placed air vent.  After divesting themselves of their heavy gear and hiding it from casual view, they entered the air vent and crawled resolutely towards Raines' office. 

Lyle arrived early at the Centre.  After his now usual punishing early morning workout at the gym, he quickly dressed and headed towards his recently repaired office suite.  He strode confidently through the hallways, humming tunelessly to himself.  If he knew that the noise he was making would attract the attention of the man he had been barely successful in avoiding, he no doubt would have stayed in bed at least another hour rather than facing Alex's uncompromising wrath.   

As the two intruders were nearing their goal, they heard someone's pathetic rendition of Mozart.  Jarod winced at this butchering of the timeless classical tune and crawled over to a ground level vent opening.  Looking around he spotted Lyle sauntering towards his office.  Jarod tapped quietly, attracting Alex's attention, causing the other to join him.  Alex's eyes glittered darkly for several seconds as he watched Lyle walk into his office.  Once Lyle entered his inner sanctum, Alex turned his empty gaze on Jarod and nodded.  Jarod looked at his new ally with a sinking heart.  He understood Alex's sense of guilt but couldn't help but be unsettled at the expression in the other's eyes.  Jarod clinched his jaw and returned the nod, forgoing Raines' office they quickly exited the vent and followed Lyle.

The memory of the blast that ripped his office apart encouraged Lyle to look around cautiously.  A new habit was being formed as he stared at his desk, almost expecting to find another note warning him of impending danger.  His brief surveillance found nothing amiss and he breathed an unconscious sigh of relief.  The last thing he wanted to encounter was Alex.  The cleaners assigned to find out how Alex got into his office undetected concluded that the only unsecured opening into the room was the air vent.  In response, Lyle had the vent wired so the next time someone crawled within several feet of the opening, the alarm would alert security immediately.

Shaking himself mentally, Lyle started extracting files in preparation of a conference call he needed to make to his contact in Düsseldorf.  Project Regeneration was going to be a far-reaching masterpiece of his forward thinking over self-will and determination.  To top this all off, it was going to do the Centre a whole lot of good and re-secure his rightful place in the Triumvirate.  Happily busying himself with the small details necessary for the meeting to go smoothly, Lyle was unaware that while his vent had been properly alarmed, he never anticipated that the bane of his existence would walk brazenly through his office door.  Jarod stood to one side of the entrance while Alex soundlessly walked up to Lyle who was concentrating on finding a file he had stored in his bottom desk file drawer.  The slight noise of Alex deactivating the cameras inside the office drew the dapper sociopath's attention and absently glancing around he saw a man's pants leg.  Looking up in irritation, Lyle was stunned speechless to find himself face to face with Alex's madly glittering gaze. 

The bracing scent and feel of fresh sea air on her face was a welcome sensation.  She had spent only two weeks in confinement which she realized ahead of time wouldn't sit well with anyone of her particular disposition but it was the small, inconsequential things associated with freedom that she had taken for granted.  Kneeling at the grate, she breathed in the salty air deeply.  Angelo paused considerately; his empathy allowed him understanding of her immediate feelings.  After a minute, he tapped her on the shoulder, gently pulling her away from the immovable grate and onto the egress point he found years ago. 

Emerging into the awakening day, Parker stretched gratefully and lifted her face to the sky.  She could never have imagined that being caged in the Centre could be so limiting on so many levels.  After years of chasing him and taunting him with her intentions of returning him to this place, Parker finally understood a tiny part of Jarod's horror at the notion of ever returning.  A hard, spirit-weakening slap of shame pierced her heart.  Looking sheepishly over at Angelo, who tilted his head in confusion at her sudden embarrassment, she turned and walked past him through the trees towards the rarely used outer access road.  Through the trees she spotted the car she had seen in the vision provided by her mother.  The domestic brand SUV was partially hidden by the adjacent forest.  Parker walked up and stared at the vehicle.  There, leaning on the driver's side front fender was Ethan, his head was down and he seemed desolate.  Smiling, Parker placed her finger to Angelo's lips, signaling him to remain silent.  Circling the SUV stealthfully, she sneaked up on her half-brother and placed her hand on his back, lightly rubbing it.

Ethan raised his head in alarm and turning he was shocked to find his sister standing before him.  Without thinking he immediately embraced her, lifting her off her feet.  When he finally released her, she smiled affectionately at him and lightly cupped his stubbly cheek in her hand.  

"Mom showed me this.  She said everything would be all right and I saw her leaning against a car.  When I saw your truck here, I thought for a minute I would see her.  It's weird.  This is almost exactly the way it was when I had the vision of almost being decapitated in that crumbling building and there you were.  I'm sure there's some significance in it but right now I don't care.  It's great seeing you again, Ethan." 

"She told me that you would need me.  I insisted on coming along but they wouldn't listen when I tried to tell them that you would come out on your own.  I've been waiting so long, I was beginning to doubt myself," he replied with obvious relief.  He stared into her eyes unwilling to break the contact he had with her.  "Are you alright?  Did those people hurt you?" 

Smiling away his concern, she said reassuringly, "I'm fine.  Emil's serum worked like a charm.  They were too afraid of harming the potential new slave they thought I was carrying.  Besides being a little chilled, I'm fine."  

"I brought along a change of clothes for you," Ethan said hurriedly as he opened the rear door of the SUV.  Reaching in he brought out a neatly folded bundle of clothing including underwear.  "I wasn't sure which way they would bring you out but I was certain that it would be probably be dirty.  There's a thermos of hot water you can use to freshen up.  It's not much but at least it's a start." 

"Thank you.  This is more than I had planned on," she said quietly, deeply surprised at his anticipation.  Movement from the corner of her eye caught her attention and hastily she reached out to her companion.  "Ethan, this is Angelo.  Without his help it would have been next week by the time I found my way out of there."  At the mention of his name, Angelo stepped forward and looked at Ethan curiously.

"Young Son, like Daughter," Angelo said with wonderment in his voice.  

"Yes, Angelo.  This is my youngest brother," Parker said softly.  "Ethan, who else came with you?  Is Jarod here?" she asked a little uncertainly as she walked to one side of the vehicle to change clothes. 

Ethan saw her intent and turned his back dutifully to give her some privacy.  He found himself facing Angelo while he answered her question.  "Yes.  I had to force them to bring me along.   Jarod and Alex went inside to get you out.  Why didn't they return with you?"  

"Because I got out on my own.  I haven't seen them.  Are you telling me those two geniuses thought I couldn't manage this on my own?  They came here to 'rescue' me, didn't they?" she asked angrily.  

"Yeah.  They both were pretty freaked out when I told them what happened.  I believe they went in there for some revenge as well as getting you out.  And before you ask, yes, I did tell them that you had planned on being taken prisoner."

"Tell me what are they planning on doing?" she asked grimly.  Finished dressing, she walked over to her brother with a set expression on her face.  Ethan smiled at her and handed over a light jacket for her to put on.      


	6. Chapter VI Working together

Disclaimer:  Please see Chapter 1 for the usual precautionary statements. 

Author's note:  For all those who have read this far, thank you!! Believe it or not, there's more to come. 

**The things I do…**

**Chapter VI**

**By Callisto**

**_The Centre _**

**_Blue Cove, DE_**

The assault on Lyle was brutal and swift.  Fortunately for him, Alex knew how to deliver a professional style beating, inflicting the most pain without needlessly prolonging the ordeal.  Jarod impassively listened to and briefly watched the pummeling Alex delivered.  Due to the conditioning of his early upbringing at the extremely violent hands of his foster father, Lyle weathered the beating with a measure of detachment.  Alex stepped back only slightly winded after satisfying himself that Lyle now had at least a couple broken ribs, bruised kidneys and was slightly concussed. 

When the commotion subsided, Jarod walked over, squatted down next to the prone sociopath and whispered harshly, "By the time he's done with you, there won't be a bone in your body that isn't at least fractured.  If you want the next round to be endurable, I suggest you answer my questions honestly and completely."  Lyle's only response was his ragged breathing. 

Glancing up at Alex, Jarod shook his head disgustedly.  Lyle could see them from the corner of his eye and realized with a sinking heart that they weren't buying his overly wounded act.  Lyle knew for certain they would continue.  His only hope for survival was Jarod's squeamishness and moral turpitude.  He was therefore quite surprised when it was Jarod who lifted his aching body roughly from the floor and stared into his face angrily.  

"Where is she?  And for your sake, she had better be alive and unharmed."

Jarod's demeanor caused Lyle to pause. It was obvious that he was prepared to continue the beating where Alex left off in order to find out where Parker was being held.  The analytical part of his brain filed away the information that his beautiful twin managed to do to Jarod what the Centre found out belatedly it had failed to do—secure Jarod's emotional dependence and unflinching loyalty.  Realizing it was imperative for him to speak, Lyle swallowed hard and replied, "Let me guess, you're asking about my sister.  She's on sublevel 8.  I brought her in unharmed, what Raines has done to her since, I have no control over." 

Jarod shoved Lyle's battered body away from him, slamming the wounded man onto the floor.  A shuttering groan escaped wetly from Lyle's lips.  Alex was at the computer on the desk and was typing in a series of commands to bring up the surveillance cameras.  He quickly accessed the system and immediately began scanning through the sub-level holding areas, searching for his twin.  When he was unable to find her, Alex slammed his gloved palms forcefully on the desktop in frustration.  Wondering in hazy confusion how Alex joined Jarod and Parker's little rebellion, Lyle knew instantly the meaning of Alex's non-verbal outburst and quickly offered up a suggestion. 

"If she isn't on sub-level 8, then she was probably moved to the incentive suite.  Raines does that whenever she cooperates with him," Lyle said between short painful breaths.  The loose, wet sound of his own breathing told him that he had underestimated Alex's physical prowess.         

The clattering of the keyboard started again and the room abruptly went silent.  Lyle leaned his head back in defeat as he tried to marshal his quickly ebbing strength.  After a few seconds it dawned on him that the room was too quiet and cracking open his eyes, Lyle was surprised to find his captors standing over him with a look of tortuous murder in their eyes. 

"She has to be there.  It's too early for any of her tests to start and Raines doesn't come out of his cave for at least another couple hours.  I swear I don't know anything else.  She was there last night when I checked up on her," Lyle conceded reluctantly. 

"What kind of experiments has Raines been subjecting her to?"  Alex asked in a calmly, almost friendly voice. 

"From what I can gather, it's mostly cognitive evaluations.  There is something else going on but I've been shut out.  Without Broots, the computer techs are useless and no one apparently possesses his ability to unearth classified files."  The stone expressions in both pretenders' eyes made Lyle's blood run cold.  "Wait, before you do anything _I_ might regret give me a chance to bargain for my life.  I swear I don't know anything else about Parker's whereabouts but there is something else I know that may be of interest," he continued desperately.

"All I want is Parker," Jarod replied with quiet anger.  

"What I want is your blood, smeared all over this office," Alex said with firm conviction.

"What about Raines?  Don't you want a piece of him?  It was his experiments, his twisted imagination that made us all what we are today.  Wouldn't you like to pay him back for all those happy childhood memories?"  Lyle asked with frantic craftiness, gratefully watching a wary spark of interest enter Jarod's eyes.  He didn't bother looking at Alex.  He knew that sick bastard could only concentrate on one thing at a time.   

"There's a safe in his office.  I know where it is but I'm no safe cracker," Lyle began, pointedly staring at Jarod.  "In the safe are records and notes on all of Raines' past, present and future schemes.  If she isn't in the incentive suite, than those files will probably tell you where he moved her or at least what he has planned for her."

**_The Center_**

**_Outer access road 5A_**

Once Ethan finished his story, Parker, her arms still folded against her chest, stared through the trees at the distant surf.  Suddenly entranced by a bright beam of light reflecting off the water, Parker listened to the voices in her mind.  Abruptly she turned to Angelo, startling him. 

"Angelo, Jarod and Alex are taking too long coming out.  They are probably wasting time looking for me.  Will you go back through the vents and bring them here?" she asked gently.

Angelo looked confused for a few seconds and then his face cleared as though he fully understood what she meant.  Offering a bright smile and reassuring nod, Angelo turned and scurried back to the Centre's vents. 

"Don't you think we should follow him?" Ethan asked uncertainly. 

"No.  We would only slow him down.  He has a map in his head of the vent system.  No one knows the way better than he does and he's able to travel about without making any noise or getting caught." 

"Jarod's been a mess for the past couple weeks.  He's missed you a lot since we left to find his mother," Ethan commented quietly after a few seconds passed without a word being exchanged between them.  

"How did the reunion go?" Parker asked avoiding Ethan's obvious question. 

"As well as could be expected.  They were all overwhelmed at being together again.  That is until Jarod asked me where you were.  It was around that time that Alex showed up in a rage that you had been taken."

"It's bizarre to even try to envision Alex and Jarod working together.  Alex almost killed both me and Jarod.  The Centre certainly makes strange bedfellows, especially among its enemies."

"I suppose so.  But at least in this case, it's not so bizarre.  There is a common denominator that links them as well as me," Ethan said calmly, still staring at his sister. 

"Really?  Something besides the Centre?" she asked curiously, finally turning to look directly in his face. 

"Yes.  You.  Somehow within the last few months, you managed to become an emotional nucleus for all of us, including Alex," Ethan said with proud affection.

Ethan's smile widened at the look of incredulous surprise on his sister's face.  "There isn't any use in denying it or trying to hide from it.  None of us had to acknowledge it to the other.  It was just there.  You've become a very important to all of us in different ways.  I just hope you didn't count on being alone for the rest of your life," Ethan said with a light chuckle.  

**_Raines' office _**

**_The Centre_**

The entire office was in disarray.  The massive Chairman's desk was missing most of its drawers, giving the illusion of knocked out teeth.  On the wall next to the desk, an art deco picture had been impatiently tossed aside revealing a now open panel.  The wall safe was opened and the thick, heavy portfolios that had been stashed inside two soft-sided leather briefcases were strewn on top of the desk.   Jarod had glanced at a few of the pages looking for any references to Parker or his family.  As his eyes continued to comb through the dense material a light tapping in the ceiling started.  Jarod looked up to find Angelo peering at him from the open air vent grate.  The savant offered a quick smile and beckoned his old friend to leave with him.  

"Daughter safe, come now," he whispered urgently. 

Abruptly, Jarod glanced at his watch and exchanged a doubtful expression with Alex.  Jarod looked up about to question his old friend when Angelo shook his head firmly and waved again for him to enter the vent. 

"Hurry now.  No time to talk."

His trust of Angelo was well founded and the news of Parker's safety assisted him in abandoning his perusal of Raines' files for another time.  Unwilling to let go of the treasure trove of secrets they had just found, Jarod began hastily shoving the paperwork in his knapsack.  Alex watched unhappily as Jarod set about the time consuming task of stuffing the bulky paperwork in his backpack.   Glancing at a barely conscious Lyle, who had been duct taped in Raines' high-backed executive chair, Alex delivered a few punishing blows to Lyle's already bruised body, then moved his chair to a strategic position in the room where the surveillance cameras only partially scanned.  The feel of ribs giving way to his abuse seemed to appease him as he watched Lyle, drenched in sweat, slump over into full unconsciousness.  Turning Alex saw Jarod's feet disappearing through the vent opening.  Looking at a nearby sheaf of papers, he saw a name on one of the papers that made him pause.  This was the information he had been looking for but was unable to unearth anything even with the assistance of Klouchi's security clearance.  Alex grabbed the other bulging briefcase and stuffed it inside his backpack.  He scattered a few typewritten pages that appeared to the table of contents across the surface of the desk, along with some internal paperwork from one of the drawers he poured a corrosive acid over the pages.  A slim plume of smoke rose up as the acid began eating away anything in its path.  

When he was done, Alex hurriedly slung the backpack across his body and then jumped at the vent opening.  Fortunately, Angelo realized what he was about to do and caught him.  Pulling Alex upwards to the vent with surprising strength, Angelo assisted him until he was able to complete the task himself.  After Angelo secured the grate, Alex tapped his remote control, commanding the security cameras to return to their usual surveillance.   

Outer access road 5A Blue Cove, DE 

Almost 30 minutes later, Parker and Ethan heard footsteps in the adjoining forest and turning their attention to where Angelo had previously disappeared, Jarod and Alex emerged.  Both men paused several feet away from their vehicle staring at the person they had risked their freedom to rescue.  They stood like statues staring at her, until Parker slowly walked towards them.  Before she had a chance to take too many steps, she found herself enveloped in a heartfelt embrace.  Relishing the feel of being in his arms again, the loneliness she had been contending with for the past month made her hang on to him with equal passion. 

Once she was free from his arms, she stepped away and stared at her lover with interest.  He had lost weight and appeared careworn and emotionally spent.  She stepped up to him again and pressed her body to his as though attempting to imbue him with a measure of her own strength.  Jarod bowed his head and accepted her gesture wholeheartedly using the moment to allow his hands to take in as much of her as possible.

Alex watched his former nemesis embrace his newly acknowledged twin with a surprising confluence of emotions.  His jealousy of Jarod seemed to have found a new lease on life as he watched his sister lovingly reward her would-be rescuer.  On the surface, Alex shrugged imperceptibly and trudged towards the waiting SUV carrying his heavy backpack.

Within minutes all four adults were in the SUV and packed ready to go.  Before Ethan could start the engine, Parker stopped him.  "Where's Angelo?"  

"He said this was his home and he could take care of himself," Jarod answered, staring with a small measurement of astonishment into Parker's obviously concerned face. 

"No.  I told him I wouldn't leave without him and I meant it," she said firmly as she swiftly alighted from the truck. 

"Parker, wait," Jarod called out as he followed her from the vehicle.  "We don't have a lot of time before the Centre realizes something's wrong.  He said 'not to worry' that he would take care.  Angelo understands what he's doing.  This is the only place he knows, where he feels comfortable.  If we take him with us, we'll be easy to track down because of the care he requires," Jarod reasoned quietly.  

"You don't understand.  He kept me going.  He helped me keep focused on what I needed to do to get out.  Without him, I don't know if I would have been able to keep myself together."  

"I do understand.  When I was locked up all those years, Angelo came whenever he could to keep me company.  Despite the way he talks, he's a grown man who's perfectly capable of making sound decisions for himself.  Give him that respect," Jarod asserted as gently as possible.

Parker stared into the forest for several more seconds before releasing a breath of acceptance.  A small groan of frustration escaped from her as she turned abruptly and returned to the truck.  Jarod sighed audibly as he followed his lover and the vehicle sped off.  Angelo watched from outside the access grate, curious to see if she would return for him.  He felt as though his heart would free itself from his chest when he saw her jump out and run towards him.  Her mother was reestablishing her hold and influence on his friend's mind.  The cloud of remorseful loyalty to her father and the Centre had finally lifted and released her. To him, she would no longer be thought of as Daughter but as Friend, like Jarod.  Angelo reentered and secured the grate as he began the long trek back to his hiding place.  He wondered how long it would take Son to find the DSA he had stuffed in his backpack.    

Several hours later just as they were rolling up in a mall parking lot to change vehicles, Alex leaned over trying to spot a small bag he had stowed behind the driver's seat at Parker's feet.  Parker seizing the opportunity quickly eased her arm around her twin's shoulders, gently pulled him towards her and buried her face in his soft hair.  "Thank you.  Ethan told me it was you shooting at Lyle and his minions in the alley."  She then kissed his hair and released him. 

Ethan glanced at his half-brother and found the other attempting to hide the pleased and deeply needy expression on his face.  Ethan smiled as he parked the truck next to the cars they would use to reach their next destination.  "Morwen, I think you should tell them what you told me about this rescue attempt," Ethan said with obvious amusement. 

Turning to Jarod, she stared balefully at him, reminding him of her former persona.  "You didn't trust me to know what I was doing?  As you noticed, I didn't need any help getting out of the Centre, instead I had to wait for you and the other _genius_ to finally come out.  How exactly did you two big brains expect to get me out of the incentive suite Raines had caged me in?"  

"We had a plan in place but as it turned out you had already left before we could implement it.  This wasn't a point of not trusting you, we both are fully aware of the lengths both Raines and the Centre will go to get their captives to bend to their will, that thought alone drove us to act.  Anyway I needed to talk to you, see you, hold you, etc," Jarod answered as he ran his fingers lightly through her hair. 

Partially mollified, Parker decided to discuss this in more detail when she had a chance to be alone with him.  They had plenty of catching up to do.  "Where are we going, now?  Back to Wisconsin?" 

"No, we're going to Pennsylvania for a few days to make sure the Centre hasn't picked up on our trail," Ethan said as he fished the last of the bags out of the SUV and relocated it to a waiting car.  After hugging her youngest brother and nodding with a smile of thanks at her twin, Parker and Jarod got into the second car and drove off.    


	7. Chapter VII Alone at last

Disclosure:  Please see chapter 1 for the usual comments.

Author's note:  This chapter and at least one other necessitate the change in rating.  I hope all those who read it enjoy this as much as I did in writing it.

**The things I do…**

**Chapter VII**

**By Callisto**

**_The Renaissance Hotel_**

**_Pittsburgh, PA_**

Waking up had become a new experience altogether.  She smiled with unspoken satisfaction as her body's minor aches reminded her of the physical exertions she had engaged in the night before.  With gentle slowness, she brushed his tousled hair back and twined the dark, silky strands through her fingertips.  The intimacy of her own actions still had the power to surprise and bemuse her.  While the Centre had employed her, she would never have allowed herself the luxury of thinking of him in this manner.  That moment on the island was an unexpected aberration, the only one since puberty had dawned on her life accompanied by raging hormones, which served to complicate matters.  Her father, noticing the changes she was undergoing, immediately shipped her off to an all-girls boarding school as though the thought of raising her was something he was not only ill-equipped to handle but unwilling to even try.  Her quietly budding infatuation with her old friend had mercifully gone unnoticed—except by the object of her desire.  Her companion was apparently still asleep, the morning light creating shadows on his cheeks cast by his surprisingly long eyelashes.  She smiled at him, staring at the stubble that sprouted on either side of his face during the night, charmed by the light flecks of gray that sneaked in making him look even more handsome.

Jarod remained quiet for a few minutes, feigning sleep so he could continue to enjoy the closeness of his companion and her subtle attempts to wake him.  Without opening his eyes, he said abruptly, "If I'm indefatigable then I would say 'insatiable' would describe you best."  He slowly ran his hand along the smooth and subtle musculature of her arm when he suddenly grabbed her shoulder firmly and rolled over on top of her.  He stared directly into her eyes then kissed her fully on the mouth.  Her reaction was to pull away quickly and stare at him with a wrinkled nose. 

"Morning breath," she muttered softly to Jarod's answering laughter. 

"Ummmm, you still taste good," he replied huskily as he turned his attentions to her exposed neck. 

Smiling at his obvious enjoyment of her gentle reproach, her smile grew larger still when she confirmed her expectation of his early morning erection.  A desire-filled chuckle was her response as she repositioned herself under him. 

A couple hours later, Parker emerged from the bedroom freshly showered, wearing only underclothes.  Almost a week had passed since she had escaped from the Centre to find her brothers and Jarod had arrived on the same day to 'rescue' her.  A feeling of accomplishment permeated her being as she thought of the coup she had pulled off with Ethan's help.  Keeping Alex out of the Centre's paws was something she had done for her now silent mother; rescuing Jarod's mother was something she had done for him alone.  Margaret could no longer be used as a pawn to lure her eldest son into a Centre trap.  Parker smiled lasciviously at the thought of her bedmate as she considered her own current selfishness.  So far, he seemed content to spend entire days in her sole company and most of those hours sharing a bed.  Knowing this exclusivity would soon end the second they returned home, she decided today would be slightly different.  There were too many experiences she wanted to share with him, long talks to have with him while they caressed and commit to memory before she would be ready to let him go.  That thought alone drove a shaft of steely coldness into her heart, so much so that she forcefully pushed it aside.  She was determined to drag her horny man out of the hotel room for some fresh air, a nice restaurant meal and maybe, if their lust didn't get in the way, a walk through the shopping district.

Jarod stretched, scrubbed his hands across his face and looked around curiously.  She had slipped out of the room unnoticed while he was busy responding to a hurried e-mail message from Angelo, who had reassured him that he remained unharmed and unsuspected by Raines and Lyle for his part in freeing Parker.  Jarod searched through the Centre's database to see if anything new had been mentioned about either the assault on Lyle or the corporation's latest atrocity—Project Regeneration.  He noticed that the timetable was still in place.  Alex's urgency in finding the exact location of the Centre's next attack was contagious forcing him to complete the details of their own counterstrike ahead of schedule.  As usual, Alex had only given him the bare details of what he suspected the Centre was up to but what he did say was enough to make Jarod share in his worry.  

Shutting down the laptop, Jarod leaned back in his chair and stared out of the window as though suddenly absorbed in the view.  She seemed almost unaffected by her captivity in the Centre which in itself spoke volumes.  Most of her life, she experienced a large measure of _freedom_, for want of a better word, within the walls of that organization.  Three weeks ago that had all been ripped away, violently and irrevocably.  Jarod knew there must be psychological repercussions occurring within her, however she refused to speak of her two-week ordeal in any depth.  Much to his surprise, Parker seemed to cling to him a bit more than she had previously and was more demonstrative with her affections.  Jarod gladly accepted what she wanted to give but he was afraid that the duration of this display might be short-lived once she was forced to come to terms with her confinement by the Centre.  He was facing an emotional conundrum; the love he felt for her was of a quality he had never experienced with any other woman and he wanted to make their relationship permanent but she was at a crossroads where before there was only a fork in the road, now she was facing a traffic circle of choices most of which were paths that would lead her away from him.  Her severe reaction to the wreckage of her romantic past warned him to proceed with caution.

Jarod continued to stare out the window when he felt a pair of soft, muscular arms encircle his shoulders and the tender skin of his companion's face brush up against his sensitive, freshly shaven cheek.  He exhaled a deep sigh as he enjoyed his lover's touch. 

"A penny for your thoughts?" she asked quietly into his ear as she moved away to bite his lobe.

"I was thinking about you," he answered truthfully.  Lightly grasping her arms to hold her in place he continued, "I wish you would talk to me about whatever Raines was doing to you.  Nothing you could say would shock me or make me think less of you." 

Sensing he wasn't going to let the subject drop, she decided on trying to make both of them more comfortable while she told him of Raines' experiments.  "How about I tell you over breakfast?  I ordered some bacon that isn't too badly burned, toast and a decent pot of coffee, join me?"  She stood up straight, easing her wrists from his grasp.  Jarod abruptly stood and turned to follow her.

"Hey, what are you doing with clothes on?" He demanded with evident disappointment in his voice.  

Looking over her shoulder, she grinned at him and replied, "I've decided that we should go out and get some fresh air.  Walk around a bit and enjoy the great outdoors.  It'll do us both some good."  A quick glance down at his body caused her grin to widen considerably.  "I won't take no for an answer, no matter how much you tempt me," she said with a delighted chuckle. 

He didn't need to follow her gaze to know what she was talking about.  Returning her smile a bit sheepishly, he answered, "I can't help it.  You've had that effect on me since we were kids."

Parker's reaction was a shocked half smile.  "Really?  Now this is something I definitely want to hear.  Come on, before I start thinking up names for a certain overly active body part."

Once they had cleared the dishes away and Jarod had finished amusing Parker with the deeply flattering tale of his early adolescent crush, he waited patiently until she stopped joking about his revelations.  Her light, playful teasing kept him from feeling she was maliciously making fun of him, that and her slightly reddened face told him that he wasn't the only one with those feelings so long ago.  Noticing the serious expression on his face, Parker curbed her laughter and sat in a large comfortable chair in the living room. 

"You want to know the tale of 'How I spent my last two weeks in the Centre'.  To begin with, I went through what I imagine is the usual battery of tests.  God, if I take another test in my life, it will be too soon," she said vehemently.  "That bald Halloween horror put me through so many tests, I lost count.  From physical endurance tests, to just about every stress test his twisted little mind could dream up.  Every time he had me dragged into the sim lab, he would watch my face to see if I already knew what he was up to." Looking up at his expression of sympathy mixed with shared anger she continued, "the reason Death-breath didn't conduct any invasive physical tests, is because I anticipated him.  Emil was bragging one day to Emily and Ethan about his prowess with a homemade chemistry kit, so much so that I decided to take him up on it.  I asked him if he could make a serum, much like birth control that would not only fool my body but anyone administering a pregnancy test.  I swore him to secrecy; so don't get on his case about it.  I told him the truth—it was for my contingency plan.  The kid is good, he came up to me with the completed serum in about a week, told me how to use it and how long it would last.  I used it after my second physical endurance test.  Somehow, I don't believe Raines ever suspected that it was Angelo who gave me the heads up." 

"The serum worked then?  Raines thought you were pregnant and left you alone?" Jarod asked incredulously. 

"Yep.  I also let it slip while under the influence of their latest truth inducing drug, that we had a brief fling shortly before I was caught, causing me to feel obligated to helping you in any way I could as an explanation of why I had gotten your mother away from the Centre's watchdogs."

"So he thinks you're pregnant with my child?  They'll turn up the heat on us trying to get you back," Jarod said thoughtfully as he paced around the room in his boxer shorts.

Watching him pace, while picturing him without the shorts, Parker shook herself mentally and answered, "Well, not exactly." 

Jarod stopped abruptly and stared at her.  She smiled at him with a raised eyebrow and answered quickly as the tantalizingly naked image of him rooted itself firmly in her mind.  "According to Emil's estimate, the serum wore off shortly before I escaped and was out of my system when the last round of blood tests were taken—the day before I left."     

"So by now they are aware that you're no longer pregnant or never were—clever," he replied with admiration.  He stood before her, hands on his hips.  The dark boxer shorts were in stark contrast to his pale, muscle-defined, rawboned body. 

"Ah, perhaps we can take that walk tomorrow?" she asked hesitantly with a lasciviously inviting smile.

**_Sanger residence _**

**_Suburban Pittsburgh, PA_**

The interior was dark and close despite the spaciousness of the home.  Little to no light was able to pierce through the staunch sentries of curtained windows.  In retrospect, he would recall an air of malevolence and violence permeating the upscale suburban home.  As though beckoned by an unseen force, the two men noiselessly weaved through the traffic of expensively tasteful furniture, down a hallway and stopping at a bedroom door.  He noticed his usually darkly enthusiastic companion seemed equally affected by the air of putrid air of fear induced pleasure oozing from the charged atmosphere.  The door was eased open quietly and they braced themselves defensively.  Instead, they were greeted by a heavy silence, complete and enveloping except for a soft, wetly intermittent burbling noise.  The view from their night-vision goggles was something out of a psychotic's nightmare.  Wet spatter was smeared in generous splotches on the wall above the bed.  Pools of wet soaked the carpet in pools which continued to spread by the consistent contribution of fluids which dripped lazily from the mattress.

Alex entered the room stepping gingerly around the quickly expanding puddle and yanked the coverlet back exposing the hidden devastation.  Horror gripped Jarod's mind as he took in the scene. Suddenly he rushed to the opposite side of the bed and the source of the burbling.  Gently, with practiced movements, his gloved hands cupped the waxy, pale face of the dying woman.  His fingers automatically checked for her pulse and found it weak and thready.  Pushing the goggles from his eyes, he stared with saddened sympathy into the frightened, pleading eyes of the woman who was mutely asking for comfort and help.  Without hesitation, Jarod murmured a prayer for the dead in Spanish for the forgiveness of any sins.  A curious understanding flooded the woman's face, as calmness engulfed her eyes and with a final effort, she stared fiercely into Jarod's eyes, found what she was looking for and blinking her thanks she suddenly relaxed and succumbed to death. 

While Jarod was praying for the spirit of the dying woman, Alex took out a small digital video camera from one of his numerous combat vest pockets and meticulously filmed every inch of the room, including the spatter and pools of blood.  When the filming was done, Alex waited in grim silence as Jarod gingerly examined the dead woman's body and gave a much more cursory exam of the male body next to her.  Straightening, Jarod looked down at the now peaceful face of the woman, unable to fully comprehend the pain and anguish she had been put through by the thoroughly debased mind that perpetrated this crime against her.  Alex observed the wounds with far more detachment, having a better appreciation for the sick genius who was responsible for this horror.  Jarod replaced the coverlet, finally shutting off the penlight he used for the exam and turned to his companion.  With an almost imperceptible nod, he followed Alex from the room and towards their exit.  Neither had left a trace of their visit as they retraced their steps.  It was the small thud which caught their attention.  Both men stopped in unison and without needing to look or consult each other, padded silently into the kitchen.  Nothing appeared to have been disturbed here.  The kitchen was large and well laid out giving the impression of being the hub of a busy household.  Without turning on any lights, the men split up and started looking in the cabinets cautiously.  Jarod was the one who found him curled up in a tight contortionist's ball, a small boy trying to make himself invisible in a lower cabinet.  The child's eyes were wide and staring, his body rigid with fear.  Carefully removing the cookware that surrounded the boy, Jarod swiftly reached in and pulled him out.  Alex took a moment to stare at their find before stooping and returning the pots and pans to their place.  The two pretenders stared at the child for another long moment before securing the boy and leaving.

The observer waited patiently in a side yard across the street from the target house.  Control was oblivious to discomfort or boredom, only a strong commitment to perfection and devotion remained.  The appearance of the two figures was a disturbing development—one that would have to be reported to the pathetically undisciplined project manager Control was obligated to inform.  Anger flashed briefly in Control's eyes as the interlopers came into view.  Before there was a chance to follow, the two figures disappeared as though they were nothing but a figment of the imagination.  A soft huff of grudging respect escaped the Control's lips and much like the two figures, the other stealthfully retreated from the perch and started the long trek towards the rendezvous point.     


	8. Chapter VIII Targets & Protocols

Disclaimer:  Please see chapter 1 for the usual statements.

Author's note:  As my beta reader puts it, I have greatly sanitized this portion of the story.  My point is not to gross anyone out with my warped imagination, but to illustrate how evil a corporation like the Centre can truly be.   In answer to some reviews, a few additions were included to clear up any vagueness.   

**The things I do…**

**Chapter VIII**

**By Callisto**

**_The Renaissance Hotel_**

**_Pittsburgh, PA_**

The television was tuned to a program neither sibling was bothering to watch.  Instead they were engrossed in conversation.  Ethan nodded thoughtfully at Parker's impassive account of her time in the Centre as a prisoner.  He paused a few beats before asking, "How are you coping with what was done to you there?  From what I understand the Centre was your life for some time."

Parker looked blankly at her youngest brother.  Gathering her thoughts for a few moments she answered, "We both knew what the stakes were and what was needed to free Margaret.  Getting captured was the point, the only way to fully distract the sweepers watching her and I've been around the Centre long enough to know what they would do next—especially without my father's protection.  Since his death, I've had plenty of time to consider my life, my past and my future."  She rose with an ingrained grace to refresh her glass of water.  As she poured, another thought hit her and turning she looked at her brother for a few seconds while sipping at her water.  "You're probably thinking the choice to leave my exciting and glamorous life as a bad guy and run off with Jarod came out of the blue."

Ethan shook his head but his eyes betrayed the questions in his mind.  Parker smiled bemusedly at her brother and said, "The reason I left the Centre for good six months ago, is that when Jarod asked, practically begged me to go with him I realized that it had been a while, at least a couple years since someone who truly cared and wanted me asked for me to leave with him.  The last time I hesitated and lost someone special.  This time I was determined not to repeat that mistake because I suspected the next thing I would have lost would be my own life as well."  The sounds of the returning pretenders put a definitive end to Parker's explanation as both siblings left the room to see how their little outing went. 

Jarod and Alex entered the hotel room quickly with Alex carrying a partially zipped, large duffle bag carefully in front of him.  He gingerly sat the bag on the couch and unzipped it completely to reveal his still frightened but groggy passenger.  Parker and Ethan entered the living room from one of the bedrooms where they had been watching TV.  The sight of the obviously terrified child made them both pause and turn their eyes on their returning companions.  Parker glanced at her twin, and then her lover and asked them with a heavy feeling, "What happened?" 

Jarod landed in a chair opposite the couch and answered sadly, "We were too late.  Our target had finished and left before we even got there."

"What about him?  Did he see….?" Ethan asked with a sinking stomach. 

"We're not sure what he saw or didn't see.  As you can tell, he's not exactly in the mood for a chat," Alex answered evenly. 

"This isn't a conversation we should be having in front of him," Parker replied in Danish, smoothly switching languages so the others would follow suit.  Then glancing at the boy she added, "How about you two tell us what happened tonight.  I'll put him to bed first, then we'll talk."  

The other three watched as Parker roused the exhausted boy and walked him into the bedroom.  A few minutes later she returned to the room, leaving the bedroom door halfway open where they could watch their guest.

 "We could tell something happened the second we set foot in the house.  We didn't find the boy until we were ready to leave.  Would have left without him if he hadn't made a sound," Jarod explained continuing the conversation in Danish. 

Alex, like Jarod was staring into the middle distance, deeply engrossed in his own thoughts when he spoke up.  "It must be the twist they put on the Jongewaard protocol.  That could be the only answer.  Erebus left the child untouched on purpose.  I wouldn't put it past him to have stuffed the kid in the cabinet himself."

"For what purpose? And what is the Jongewaard protocol?"  Ethan asked thankful for the first time that the Clausons insisted on him learning Danish, as his frustration at being left out of the loop began to increase. 

"The Jongewaard protocol involves the acquisition and training of executive-level Centre sweepers and assassins.  It involves the killing of a target's parents followed up with the eventual mentoring, education and training to shape the target into a loyal employee, who wouldn't flinch at the occasional assassination," Parker explained casually.  "My personal sweeper, Sam was subjected to the protocol and I'm sure Willie, Raines' sweeper was also a recipient. "

Before Ethan could ask a follow-up question, Jarod answered him, "The twist to this is the Centre has identified a Pretender and now wants him to undergo similar training as a sweeper.  This is their way of obtaining a Pretender without kidnapping him but still twisting his emotions and intellect to suit their goals and then turning him on an unsuspecting public."

"Who's Erebus?  Is he the one who killed the boy's parents?"  Ethan asked.

"Before we go into any further explanations, you should have a look at this DSA.  It'll explain some of the details.  There are some things I need to check on before we take our next step," Alex replied distractedly as he handed his twin a small DSA case containing the disc.  Parker looked at the disc and heaving a large sigh retreated to the other bedroom where Alex had his player stored.

**_The Centre - 1979_**

**_Blue Cove, DE  _**

A smallish looking man stood at the table where a youthful Alex sat staring at the reports he had been given to evaluate.  "Now Alex, given this data I want you to extrapolate a probable outcome for this scenario.  It doesn't matter where the changes came from, all we need are projected results and any suggestions for improvement," Dr. Thompson intoned as he continued to circle his protégé.  

"Sir, the best suggestion I could give is not to do this.  From what these reports are saying, so far the results have been disastrous.  Using this protocol to manipulate the emotions of a person who is expected to think his way though almost any scenario will result in that person turning on his handlers."

"Alex, I want you to concentrate and not to let extraneous emotions and empathy cloud your judgment.   We need answers that only you can supply.  The future of the project is in your hands and I am confident that you can come up with a viable solution.  The Jongewaard protocol is sound and it has worked on numerous occasions.  We have even sold the outlines of the protocol to at least two very satisfied buyers.  Make this work in a new application and you will be amply rewarded." 

"You'll tell me about my family?  Show me pictures of them?"  Alex asked eagerly with sharpened interest.

"If you're successful then I will arrange for you to find out something about them, though obtaining pictures of them for you to view may be out of my hands," Tommy Thompson answered with measured sympathy.   

Alex took a moment to consider this compromise, then looking up with a grim expression he answered, "The protocol would work if the target pretender were nearby during the slaying and left alone with the bodies of his dead parents.  Severing all ties to his past would make him more malleable to suggestion and allow him to become attached to his mentor, seeing that person as a replacement parent.  However, killing _my_ parents now would only inspire further resentment and increase my desire to escape," Alex added giving his mentor a knowing look.

"These methods are being considered for future pretenders, not for our current class," the psychiatrist countered evenly, ignoring Alex's threat.

"The manipulation of the child would have to be designed specifically for that particular individual.  A protocol wouldn't help your cause at all.  You will find only the bare outline would be useful, making the entire operation, time consuming and resource draining before the subject is even brought here.  Also, due to his age at the time of acquisition, intensive psychological conditioning would be necessary in securing emotional stability and focus in the pretender, much more so than is presently used with today's 'class'." 

"We will revisit this issue in one week's time to allow you to flesh out a modified sim explaining the changes needed to make this prospective project a workable reality," Dr. Thompson commented with confidence.  The screen faded to black after revealing that Alex had been presented with the sim in front of a panel of executive Tower staff. 

~~~

Jarod had remained in his seat, listening to the audio portion of the DSA and mentally grinding his teeth at the sim that had been foisted on Alex.  Jarod had no illusions that his new found ally had been involved in some deeply troubling and morally corrupting projects, however hearing it again was still very aggravating. 

"So this is the environment Mr. Raines wanted me to live in?  I've never been so glad of missing an opportunity in my life," Ethan said mostly to himself as he wrapped his arms around his body.  Looking up he glanced between Jarod who was still staring into space and Alex who was busily typing on his laptop.  "Erebus, who is he?"  Ethan asked again. 

"Erebus is the brainchild of Raines and my mentor Tommie Thompson.  He's scary, efficient, deadly, twisted and a genius to boot.  He embodies the first successful application of the modified protocol.  He scares anyone who knows what his methods are and he takes his role very seriously," Alex answered nonchalantly.

"Well at least he picked an appropriate name for himself.  In Greek mythology the name belongs to the son of Chaos.  As the story goes, Erebus is the embodiment of primordial darkness," Parker commented in a tone that mirrored her twin's explanation.  Ethan stared at her and nodded quietly to himself, absorbing the meaning behind her words.

"Murdering parents seems to be a common practice with the Centre.  Mr. Raines had my foster parents killed in order to get me to go along with him.  I wonder what was done to Erebus' parents to make him this way," Ethan replied softly. 

"According to Raines' note to the Triumvirate, there is one more child to be put through the Jongewaard wringer.  He doesn't give specifics but at least this gives us one last chance to catch this monster before he destroys another family in an effort to replicate himself."  Glancing at Ethan, Jarod continued, "Apparently the Centre has fallen on hard times.  They've decided to create more Pretenders like Erebus who manages to kill on command.  The assassination business is very lucrative and with the popularity of the modern day serial killer, murdering a target then covering it up with the deaths of a few more innocents is a method they're no longer reluctant in using."

After a long pause, Parker walked over and sat next to Jarod on the couch where he relocated when he replaced Alex at the laptop.  She leaned forward resting her elbows on her thighs.  As though coming to a tough decision she messily brushed her hair away from her face and asked grimly, "I have a bad feeling that the way the victims died is significant, only because neither of you has mentioned it.  Tell me what happened to them and while you're at it explain why the Centre would need pretenders to do their wet work?  They have trained, marginally bright assassins like my dead step-mother Brigitte for that."

A fond smile briefly lightened Jarod's grim expression.  "You have a way of cutting to the chase that is uniquely your own," he responded with a smile.  "What I understand of it is from bits and pieces Alex has told me of his time with the Triumvirate."  Looking up he glanced at Alex, "Why don't you start?" 

"The best way to answer your questions is to tackle them backwards.  The problem with assassins, such as the deceased Brigitte is that she wasn't too bright.  An order would be issued, a sim, depending on the difficulty of the operation, on how to commit the murder would be presented to the executioner along with details supplied for the most obvious of contingencies.  At that rate, the Pretender, as the powers that be finally surmised, could have done the deed himself in less time and been able to work around any unexpected situations, if they arose.  With a money-hungry beast like the Centre, cost effectiveness is always of paramount concern," Alex explained softly. 

Jarod immediately picked up where Alex left off.  "There were two victims—a husband and wife.  On the surface, it appeared as though they both had been systematically crushed.  Are you sure you want to hear this?"  He asked worriedly.

"I'm sure, go ahead," Parker, answered tightly.

The clinician in Jarod peeked out as he explained the condition of the bodies in gruesome detail.  Finishing up, he concluded, "Of course most of the damage was done to hide the true cause of death.  I'm curious as to what sort of weapon was used to cause the extensive damage to the male victim." 

"From your description, the cause of death is a tie between bleeding to death and shock from all the trauma," Parker stated with some surprise. 

"No, that's not what killed them, though I would bet the County Coroner won't be able to determine the true cause of death.  From what I could tell without disturbing the bodies too much, both victims were poisoned." 

"Poisoned?  I thought almost every bone in their bodies had been crushed."

"This is a bit of conjecture, but the killer probably injected some lethal concoction directly into one or two targeted internal organs.  Their deaths would have been agonizingly slow," Jarod said with a touch of anger.

"Did he kill them slowly for their son's benefit?" Ethan asked with horrified dread. 

"Erebus is conducting a sim within a sim.  The original and primary sim is to affect the deaths of the parents as part of the Jongewaard protocol.  The secondary sim is to conduct experiments on whatever new poison or drug the Centre needs a live test on.  Once the test is complete, Erebus probably using a local or mild anesthetic, removes the entire organ for further testing, then cauterizing his handiwork damages any poison evidence left behind that the Coroner might be able to find.  The mess he leaves is another combo deal—part signature and part method to hide his secondary goal.  The cops are probably dismissing him as a sick serial killer, allowing their emotions to blind them from the true purpose," Alex explained indifferently.  An unsettling thought occurred to him as he realized that neither of his siblings had an accurate idea of what they were up against. 

"While Jarod was busy making a forensic assessment of what was done to the victims, I was making an assessment of my own.  Let's be clear on this:  Erebus is the culmination of the type of pretender the Centre—specifically Raines has been attempting to develop.  Erebus came to them with certain inbred weaknesses in his moral character.  While my sense of empathy was being burned and conditioned out of me, it was an exercise that wasn't needed in Erebus' case.  He is evil—trained, educated and seasoned.  Not the kind of evil you see in bad horror movies or Stephen King bestsellers but real, actual and lethal.  Finding his next target is absolutely essential, not only to our own survival but in order to severely cripple the Centre."     

During Alex's reflection of Erebus' motives, Parker got up and walked to the liquor cabinet.  Fortunately her stomach was feeling stronger as she poured herself a drink of single malt liquor.  Slowly draining the glass, the realization of what was truly intended washed over her like a polluted tide.

"To watch two people helplessly writhe from the gunk he injected into them, crack most of their bones, give them a local anesthetic, open them up and remove body parts while they're still alive, slop their remains all over the room and then leave the mess for the victim's child to discover—is beyond comprehension.  Hearing their screams would scare the poor kid shitless.  Then the silence would be deafening, he would have to go to them, to see if they were okay, if some semblance of his world was still intact.  It would drive anyone over the edge to find their parents in that condition, more so an extraordinarily intelligent child.  He would cling to his mentor after hearing assurances of his safety from the monster who killed his parents.  The Centre itself would become a safe haven.  This Erebus must be one cold, calculating son-of-a-bitch," she stated calmly.  

There was a thread of empathy in her voice that made Jarod study her more closely as he was reminded of another child who had lived most of her life believing she had found her mother dead in an elevator.  Although she recently learned the truth, Parker had lived with the psychological ramifications of that trauma all her life.  It had been one horror she was unable to rationalize and anticipate as she had her capture by the Centre. 

"No.   _I'm_ one cold, calculating son-of-a-bitch.  Erebus, he's something else altogether.  It's going to be a challenge not just catching up to him but putting him down as well," Alex replied as he joined his twin in having a drink. 


	9. Chapter IX Controls, schemes & a little...

Disclaimer:  Please see Chapter 1 for all the usual admissions of what I don't own. 

Author's note:  This was a tough chapter for me to write.  I hope all those who do me the honor of reading it really like it.  Thanks!! 

**_The things I do…_**

**_Chapter IX_**

**_By Callisto_**

"Sydney," he said with abrupt suspicion.  The specter of the Centre still hung heavily on his mind as he answered his cell phone.

"I always took for granted that sweepers were regular, salaried employees, now I wonder why I never looked at their station more deeply," a deep voice stated with equal abruptness. 

"Jarod! Well this is a surprise.  It's great hearing from you!  I suppose asking you how you got this number would be a waste of time.  How are you?  Is everything well?"  Sydney inquired, his delight in hearing from his pseudo-son overriding all else.

"I'm fine, Sydney.  I trust you're doing well also.  However, I need some information from you.  The Jongewaard protocol, I first learned of it from Alex—don't ask, it's a long story.  But there is something missing from my understanding that I'm hoping you can clarify for me."

"First Jarod, I must know how Miss Parker is doing?  Is she okay?  Have you seen her lately?" he asked without bothering to hide his worry and concern.

"She's fine Sydney.  I saw her about 5 minutes ago.  It seems time away from the Centre is doing her a world of good.  Now, Sydney about the protocol," Jarod inquired patiently. 

A deep sigh was Sydney's answer for several seconds, before replying, "Yes, I remember the protocol.  Unfortunately, Jacob and I contributed to it while it was in its infancy and before we understood they were actually planning on implementing it.  My opinion was and always has been that the Jongewaard protocol was one of the most brutal and Machiavellian schemes ever thought up by the Center.  It was repugnant because part of its success depended on the trainee's parents having died tragically.  Recently orphaned children who had been placed in foster care were the first targets though I strongly suspected the Centre occasionally assisted in the deaths of the parents of at least a few of the protocol's recipients. 

"Is it true that the protocol was used to train sweepers?"

"Yes, for the most part.  I was already deeply committed to the Pretender project by the time I was asked to evaluate the protocol's potential.  At first I thought it was just a mental exercise and assisted somewhat in its design.  That all changed when I realized the Centre was serious about going forward with its use and ultimate sale.  I voiced my opinions about the eventual results that would come about from its utilization but as usual my protests fell on deaf ears.  Fortunately, the project was so expensive and time intensive that only a limited number could be trained using its methods.  Why the sudden interest?"

"It appears as though a new twist has been added to it.  The Centre is now using the protocol to train pretenders and turn them into a particular brand of assassin, one that would be loyal to the Centre and not run away.  My question is why?  Why would _anyone_ trained this way not turn on his masters?  What if the pretender or trainee found out about the protocol?  There must be something more to it than I've been told.  What is the control?"

"Excellent as usual, Jarod," Sydney praised admiringly to his protégé.  Engaging in conversation on any level with Jarod was always challenging and mentally stimulating for Sydney.  "Yes there is a control built into the original protocol which would insure the trainee would stay the course and assist in keeping his focus concentrated.  The control would be used to distract the trainee until he or she was fully indoctrinated.  It was included after extensive research was conducted on the protocol and it was discovered that an important factor was missing.  The Control portion was designed to add that intangible need we all have.  In most cases, the Pretender project being a notable exception, whenever a protocol called for managing most facets of a person's life, the control factor is found to be absolutely necessary in preventing the trainee from falling apart or violently retaliating if it was found out what had been done to them.  Thinking back, you were given a slight taste of the control portion of the protocol.  Unfortunately, it worked too well for the comfort of the powers that be."

"Really?  I don't remember that.  Sydney, tell me exactly what are the controls for the protocol?"

"What's going on, Jarod?  The Centre has been hard-pressed for some time to come up with the funds necessary to continue the project.  From what I understood, the Triumvirate insisted on Raines using their people instead of sinking more money into the protocol." 

"The Centre has developed a new money making scheme and they won't stop unless somehow I can stop them.  New pretenders have been discovered.  Innocent people are being murdered to complete the protocol and their children are being manipulated for the Centre's needs.  Whole families are being plundered like human strip mining," Jarod replied angrily. 

"My God, this is horrible.  I suppose being away from there has dulled my senses.  What is it that you need to know about the controls?" 

"Everything, Sydney.  Tell me everything you know," Jarod said grimly.

****

****

**_The Centre_**

**_Blue Cove, DE _**

****

****

Lyle limped stiffly into Raines' office curious as to the reason for the abrupt summons.  Even with Willie subtly slowing his pace in ushering him to the Chairman, the pain from his broken ribs made the effort keeping a neutral expression on his face extremely difficult.  The designer drugs he had been given in the Renewal Wing were speeding up his recovery at an unprecedented rate and at the expense of him feeling a higher percentage of the pain despite the high milligram pain relievers. 

****

"Mr. Raines, to what do I owe the honor of this summons?" Lyle asked with carefully masked sarcasm. 

****

"News reports are stating the Orphan-maker serial killer has kidnapped his first orphan.  The child from the Pennsylvania site is missing and it's assumed the killer took the child with him.  Something which is unfortunately not true, thus putting Project Regeneration in jeopardy.  An internal report of a disturbing nature has been forwarded to my attention.  An unauthorized person was seen leaving the premises of the last target site.  It appears as though someone has discovered this resuscitated project and my guess would place the blame on Jarod.  However, there doesn't seem to be any evidence supporting the fact that he took the child but to assume otherwise would be foolhardy.  We both know from experience that he will take any opportunity to interfere with our plans or worse attempt to expose our true objective."

****

Lyle sat back in his seat, aching and stunned.  He had not revealed this particular project to either Jarod or Alex nor had he revealed to Raines that Jarod had accompanied Alex to the Centre or was involved in the assault on his person.  Lyle racked his brain, trying to figure out how those two had figured things out.  Finally looking up, Lyle had a feeling he knew where Raines was going with his opening statement. 

****

"You're going to shut down the project aren't you?," Lyle accused.  The stoic look in Raines' face confirmed Lyle's fear.  He was on the verge of loosing everything he had worked so hard for, had slaved for and schemed for in order to regain entrance into the Triumvirate.  "You can't do that, not now, not when we're so close to accomplishing our goal.  Right now we only have two and one of those is breaking down.  We need the last one as a back up.  Something we've never had, once that's done then you can put Erebus out to pasture or in the ground for all I care." 

"I've allowed your use of Erebus on this project but he's showing signs of undue stress.  His Control is barely having any positive effect on his emotional stability and is beginning to exhibit signs of corruption as well.  Erebus is necessary for our continued autonomy from the Triumvirate, without him our coffers will run dry within a few months," Raines intoned angrily.

Forcibly calming himself, Lyle smoothed his expression back into an impassive mask.  "This is the last one I need from him.  After that the project will move into stage 3 without any interruptions.  Jarod doesn't know anything about this project or what it entails.  You're only guessing that it was him and if it was why he showed up at the last target site.  One thing I'm sure of is that he has no way of knowing the details about the upcoming hit.  Some extra precautions can be put in place just in case anyone shows up again," Lyle reasoned as he stared into his new father's soulless eyes.  He could tell Raines was still interested in the possibilities that the project offered, so he expertly slid in the coups de grace.  "The success of this project will double long-term revenues and while we are busy applying the finishing touches, we can also analyze the security breaches and shore up all the weaknesses.  Let's stay on track with this and I can practically guarantee results that will make you one of the most autonomous chairmen the Centre has ever seen."

"What do you get out of this, Mr. Lyle?"  Raines inquired, inhaling a deep draught of air as he narrowed his abyss-depth eyes.

"My life the way I want it Mr. Raines and perhaps a tad bit of autonomy for myself.  This can be a win-win situation for both of us as long as you don't loose your nerves just as we're about to accomplish something that will finally eclipse the success of the Pretender project."

"I'm an impatient man, don't keep me waiting, Mr. Lyle.  This will be the last foray Erebus will be involved in with this project.  We still have plans in the works for him and the psychological toll of your project is twisting him further from our current control.  Make the most of this excursion.  As to security, the Control protocol will be fully implemented along with 2 sweepers, one of which will be Willie.  If Jarod shows up, then the objective is to capture him and your project becomes secondary.  Are we clear?"  The Chairman inquired as forcefully as his breathlessness would allow.

He had failed to explain that the Control portion of the protocol had already been fully deployed.  Erebus' Control was the reason he knew of Jarod's appearance along with that of another person who could only be Miss Parker.  Lyle was also unaware of Erebus' secondary goal of obtaining raw field data of the bio-weapon he was developing.  The tissue analysis conducted by Erebus' Control was encouraging and another test wouldn't hurt this shadow project in the least.  Raines knew Erebus needed a break and considered alternatives but ruled that out immediately.  The last thing he wanted was Lyle to figure out there was more going on here than meets the eye.  Now the possibility of reacquiring both Jarod and Miss Parker was making him salivate with anticipation.   Capturing the two of them and continuing with the project would put him in the driver's seat and perhaps in one of the seats within the Triumvirate as well. 

"Crystal," Lyle answered.  How the old fossil found out about the two intruders at the target house unnerved him.  As the project manager, any forwarding of information would have to go through him first.  Erebus, that arrogant bastard, wouldn't have bothered. The only answer could be Control.  Lyle would like to move against this particular Control but unfortunately that was the only person keeping Erebus calm and collected.  Control was someone he would have loved bringing violently into line but Erebus wouldn't stand for anyone to mess with his Control and made it clear he would become darn right unreasonable with anyone who dared—a thought that brought a distasteful shiver of dread down Lyle's spine.  It was smart to be cautiously apprehensive around Erebus, that's how one stayed _intact_.  Lyle didn't like the fact that Raines' personal sweeper would be there to report back any news not sanitized by himself and with a Control who had loose lips, he knew which battles he would win and this wasn't going to be one them.

**_The Renaissance Hotel _**

**_Pittsburgh, PA   _**

Jarod finally turned off his cell phone, satisfied that his plans were well on the way to fruition.  Karen, his Seattle connection sounded happy to hear from him and was receptive to his ideas.  Elena Trask, it turned out, decided to become the philanthropist her husband pretended to be and actively supported a number of charities, non-profit support groups and an underground railroad for those needing to disappear in order to escape abusive and life-threatening relationships.  It was the underground railroad with a change in identity that he had in mind for a certain young boy.  The final piece that needed to be put into place was the identity and location of the last child the Centre had targeted.  Alex was being mysterious as to the lead he was following up on and without any further reference in the Centre's databases about the project and with the entire pursuit team away from the Centre, Jarod decided he would have to rely on Alex for now.  He was determined not to ask Angelo to do any snooping around, Parker's escape already had the paranoid and deadly duo of Raines and Lyle on edge.  Anymore mysterious insider leaks might just lead them directly to Angelo.  Jarod had modified the specially designed virus he had formulated for the Centre.  The damage it had already wrecked wouldn't become noticeable for some time.  His recent modifications would broaden the damage considerably, speeding up the timetable of detection.  If they were unsuccessful in saving the last family on the list then the modifications would be their final hope to stymie the Centre and make the Triumvirate think twice before continuing with the protocol.  

He entered the kitchen intent on finding something quick to eat when he found Parker with her back to him, placing a carafe of milk in the refrigerator.  Seizing the opportunity, he slid up silently behind her and as she was turning, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close.  She was startled at first and immediately grinned playfully when she realized whose arms were wrapped around her.  Jarod, sensing her complacency, kissed her with deliberate passion further surprising her.  The embrace lasted some time as Parker responded with some heat of her own, returning her lover's kiss and allowing her suppressed desire to speak for itself.

What had started out as a kiss quickly developed into lovemaking as the two explored each other with their hands and softly moaned in their shared enjoyment.  Still fully dressed and thoroughly engrossed in themselves, they momentarily forgot the duty that had been palmed off on them by Parker's siblings.  It was the soft sniffling and tearful moan that recalled their attention.  Realizing they were no longer alone, the thoroughly aroused adults separated somewhat sheepishly, exchanging an amorously heated glance as they each exercised some self control.  The boy Jarod and Alex had rescued from the gruesome murder scene over a week ago was standing in the doorway.  In the week that had passed the child remained mute.  The look of agonized horror reflected in his eyes.  He refused to eat and would only accept the occasional glass of milk.  Now he was staring at them as he cried softly.  Jarod walked over to the boy and dropping smoothly to one knee he looked the child in the eye. 

"Hey what's wrong?  It's okay, we won't hurt you." 

The child lowered his head and cried a bit harder, confusing Jarod completely.  Finally, when he was able to regain control of his tears, the boy spoke for the first time saying solemnly, "My parents used to do that too.  One time I went in the garage to get my bike and Daddy was kissing Mommy and they were making noises like you were.  It was funny then but now I want them to come back and I wouldn't care if they did that all the time." 

Jarod looked at the boy's tear stained face and immediately sympathized.  The child was beautiful, with gray-green eyes, sandy brown hair and a dusky complexion that many children of mixed racial heritage often have.  An expression of deep intelligence reigned in the child's eyes as he returned Jarod's gaze.  A moment slid by as Jarod looked at the child, then carefully asked, "What's your name?" 

"Cyrus," came the shy reply. 

"How do you know we weren't the ones who hurt your parents?"  Parker asked abruptly.  Her question sounded harsh and abrupt to Jarod's ears but he refrained from saying anything to her.  She more than anyone would have some inkling as to what this boy was going through from the loss of her own mother when she was just a few years older.  It was also a question that had been puzzling him, though he felt now was too soon to ask. 

Unperturbed by her question, Cyrus answered her and gave both adults a taste of what the Centre was after.  "None of you have the same mean-hateful look in your eyes as the man who came to my house.  It would be something impossible to hide."

Slowly taking a seat at the small kitchen table, Parker asked with deep curiosity, "Do you think you feel up to telling us what happened that night?"

"I guess so," Cyrus replied as he inched further into the kitchen and took a seat opposite Parker.  

Jarod got up and stood leaning against the counter behind Parker.  So far her direct method hadn't startled or traumatized the boy and she was asking the questions that were begging for answers in his mind. 

Staring at the glass of milk on the table the boy told them what he remembered from that night.  "I was asleep when I heard a scream.  I thought it was a nightmare when I heard it again.  I think it was from my Daddy, but I never heard him scream before.  Then there was a loud cracking noise, like someone trying to break something in a wet bag.  I ran to their bedroom to see what was going on.  It was too dark to see much…" Cyrus paused as his tears began to flow unchecked.  In a shaky, barely audible voice he continued.  "Mommy and Daddy were in bed and there was a man standing over them.  He was holding something like a club but it was small not thick and heavy.  I knew he had been hitting them with it and I was about to run and hit him until he looked at me.  His eyes were weird and scary.  I could see them even in the dark!"  Now Cyrus was breathing heavily and began to sweat.  Jarod straightened but Parker shook her head and raised her hand without looking back at him.  "Mommy screamed and I ran away.  I chickened out and ran.  I could have helped them, I could have stopped him but I didn't," the boy murmured with a sorrow so deep it tore at both adults.

"There wasn't anything you could have done to stop him.  Your mother screamed to save you, to get you to run.  Remember that and hang on to it.  Your mother's last thoughts were of you and how much she loved you," Jarod said as he came around the table and stooped to eye level with the boy.  Cyrus looked at Jarod with hopeful resignation.  "She spoke to me with her eyes," Jarod began.  

Cyrus' eyes widened with surprise.  Often his mother would speak to him with an expression, sometimes she didn't need words to communicate.  His interest in Jarod increased dramatically as he committed to memory every word Jarod had spoke.

"She made me promise to make you safe so the men who did this to her would never be able to find you or to hurt you—ever.  That's a promise I intend to keep," Jarod said with absolute conviction.

"I never met your Mommy, but I will make a promise to you, Cyrus.  We will find the man responsible, and if it's the last thing I do, we will make him pay for all the pain he's put your family through," Parker said with equal conviction and surprising Jarod.

Cyrus slid from his seat and walking over to Parker, he stood next to her.  There was something in her eyes that told Cyrus that she understood his pain.  The fierceness in her tone soothed and spoke directly to the impotent anger and loneliness in the child.  Parker looked into the boy's eyes and with unshed tears in her own, she clinched her jaw knowing what he was tacitly asking for but unable to voice.  She put aside her aversion to touching strangers and embraced the child.  When he stared crying again, she pulled the boy's small body in her lap, never relinquishing her hold and allowed him to vent his agonized sorrow into her shoulder.   


	10. Chapter X The next target

Disclaimer: Please see Chapter I for the usual statements

Author's note: For all those who are still reading, thank you! 

****

The things I do…

Chapter X

By Callisto

**__**

The Renaissance Hotel 

Pittsburgh, PA

It had been several days since Jarod and Alex had seen first hand the handiwork of Erebus, the Centre's current money-making horror. After exhausting all their leads and coming up empty, tempers were running short as desperation began to settle in. Alex pushed away his laptop in frustration, giving the computer a filthy look. 

"We have only a couple more days to find the next victim or we'll be too late," Alex commented in disgust. 

"The files from Raines' office doesn't give us enough information. We need a name and location of the next family or they'll continue with this project. From the news reports, Erebus has already made his mark on the psyche of millions, this was the third time the Orphan-maker killer has struck, that means they already have 2 children entangled in their web. The only reason for another pair is as a failsafe. Losing the third child should make the last useless," Ethan reasoned.

"They will use this last child as a back-up for the other two. If anything happens to one of them then they will have a backup trained and ready to step in. The Centre is nothing if not well prepared. And greedy," Alex replied solemnly.

Before anything more was said, Cyrus burst in the room wearing only briefs, soaking wet and laughing, followed closely by Parker who was trying to corral the boy. Catching up to him she draped a large towel around his shoulders.

"Okay, nature-boy. Time for you to dry off and get some clothes on before you catch a cold," she stated affably.

"Hey there, you look different," Ethan said with a smile. 

"I just got my hair dyed, how does it look?" the boy inquired. 

"Very different. I think dark hair actually suits you," Ethan replied. Suddenly, his eyes took on a faraway look as though he were listening to a tune he couldn't quite identify. Then in an excited voice, Ethan asked, "Cyrus, we're looking for another child who is like you. We think the man who killed your parents may attack another family. Can you help us?" 

The boy's ebullient mood quickly evaporated. Pulling the towel around his body more securely, Cyrus shook his head and looked down. Jarod stared at his half-brother for a moment then asked, "Cyrus, I want you to think back and tell me if there was a time when either of your parents took you someplace to take some tests? They probably pricked for forefinger to make it bleed, then put you in a room to see if you could make a replica of a building or statue." 

Cyrus stared at Jarod and then slowly started nodding. "Yes. My Mom took me to New York last year. We had a great time but then I had to take all those tests." 

Alex perked up but remained silent. It was doubtful the child would be able to give them a clue about the next victim but this was better than sitting around on their thumbs while the Centre built up another group of Pretenders who would reshape the lives of billions--all for a profit or worse. Wisely, he kept to his seat to avoid giving the child the feeling of being encroached upon. 

"Do you remember any other children at the place where you took the tests?" Jarod asked quietly. 

"No. I was alone when they gave me the tests. But…before the tests, there were a couple kids in the room with me before the nurse came to prick our fingers. We weren't supposed to talk but this kid Daniel made me laugh. Do you think the man that killed my parents will try to hurt Daniel?" Cyrus asked with abrupt concern.

Turning to Alex, Jarod watched as the sociopath typed feverishly on his laptop. A few seconds later, Alex looked at Jarod and shook his head. Checking the news reports, neither of the other two children where Erebus had struck were named Daniel. 

Jarod nodded sharply, then turned again to Cyrus. Keeping his excitement at bay, Jarod asked, "Cyrus, do you remember anything more about Daniel? Did he tell you where he was from or give you his last name?" 

Cyrus paused as his glance shifted from Jarod's anxious face, to Alex's piercing gaze and Ethan's equally concerned expression. A soothing hand landed on the child's slim shoulder, turning he saw Parker looking down at him with a neutral expression.

"Cyrus, it's important for us to find Daniel and his family. So far you're our only lead and possibly the only hope for Daniel. Tell us everything you know about the other little boy," she asked.

"He didn't really say a lot 'cause we weren't supposed t talk. Would his e-mail address help?"

Parker bowed her head and chuckled. Ethan released a breath he was unaware he had been holding and Alex shook his head in disbelief. Jarod gave the boy a mischievous grin and nodded fondly at him. Armed with this information, it would take only minutes to find the next potential victim's home.

**__**

Carlsen residence

Ohlmwood, IA 

Night fell with a grace that none of those who waited impatiently for it felt in their hearts. On the Centre's side, Erebus waited with an air of annoyance for the time of his strike. Inside the spacious observation van, the atmosphere was thick with malice and unvented violence. For the past few months, despite his insistence on using Erebus for this project Lyle would have given almost anything to be elsewhere. Erebus oozed corruption and hatred the way odiferous sweat seeped from a frightened man's pores. The van was just short of the size of an RV with fewer windows and for those still present, heavily tinted. Tension finally giving way to his increasing desperation to be out of Erebus's presence, Lyle peered into the inky blackness that seemed to take on a malevolent life of its own at the back of the van which was used as the pretender's personal space. 

"It's almost time, perhaps you should be getting ready," Lyle stated with heavy impertinence in an attempt to mask his growing fear.

Erebus' disembodied voice answered Lyle with casual disdain. "I will go when it feels right and not before. If you're so eager, why don't you start without me?" 

The hairs on the back of Lyle's neck stood on end at the sound of the pretender's deep grave-robbing voice and despite his frustration at being kept waiting, he retreated further towards the front and relative safety offered by putting any distance between himself and Erebus. This was the only person living who could ever elicit this type of reaction out of Lyle. As for self-awareness, Lyle understood his own demons and occasionally gave into them. Erebus was a different kettle of fish altogether. Releasing a heavy sigh, Lyle moved off without responding. After twenty agonizing minutes, and several surreptitious glances later, Lyle turned again to confront Erebus to find the pretender completely suited up, balaclava pulled over his face and ready to go. In disgust, Lyle stated tightly, "Place the sweepers where you need them. Raines believes Jarod may have gotten wind of where the last child lives, if he shows up, then your focus will have to shift momentarily to capturing him. I don't like it but those are our orders."

"For once we agree. If I should run into the ever elusive 'crown jewel' rest assured, he will return to the Centre--dead and useless." Turning to the backlit map of the neighborhood that was hanging on the wall of the tactical van, Erebus pointed out the strategic areas he wanted the sweepers set up. After supplying his orders and quietly checking with his Control, Erebus deployed to the darkened, unsuspecting home.

Waiting for over 3 hours was tiring in itself but the stakes were too high for any of those on watch to let down their guard. Soon a shadow entering the quiet residence through a jimmied side window alerted the group and a light tapping on their communication devices informed everyone to get set. Waiting another anxious 5 minutes, Alex and Jarod followed the shadow Jarod spotted, into the residence. Outside, Ethan kept his distance and soon spotted a sweeper stationed at the rear corner of the residence who was about to report the presence of his half-brothers to the fiend inside. Smoothly, Ethan raised his weapon and shot a high-compression dart at the sweeper who sunk to the ground with a soft thud. In quick succession, Ethan dealt similarly with three other sweepers when his weapon jammed. He curled up in a deeply shaded spot and silently tried to figure out what went wrong with it. As he was doing this, the soft sound of another's approach caused him to freeze. Relying on all his instincts, Ethan surmised that the person approaching hadn't seen him--yet. Ethan closed his eyes and concentrated on making himself invisible. His breathing slowed and his body seemed to melt into the background of garden foliage and bushes. The infinitesimal sounds from the other person continued to draw near then suddenly stopped. Without hesitation, Ethan jumped on the intruder and using the butt of his weapon, struck the masked intruder over the head. 

Inside, the home was eerily quiet as Jarod and Alex once again navigated silently through a forest of furniture. They followed the steps of the serial killer and then were rewarded with the muffled sounds of talking. Praying they arrived before Erebus could begin his bizarre experiments, they quietly eased the bedroom door open. Jarod and Alex were surprised to see the lights were still off. The sounds of someone unintelligibly murmuring continued as Alex slid through the partially opened door. Jarod had only stepped across the threshold when he felt a muzzle pressed against his neck.

"Please join us, I've been waiting so patiently for you two to arrive," the sepulchral whisper greeted. Abruptly, the bedroom lights were turned on and before Alex could pounce, Jarod's body was shoved into him, throwing him off balance. After several seconds, Jarod blinked several times to force his eyes to adjust to the sudden light. Looking up, he saw a powerfully built man dressed all in black with a brown heavy-looking pouch slung across his body and pointing a silenced 9mm at him and Alex.

"Onissius and the Chameleon I presume," Erebus stated in his deep, funereal whisper. "One more arrogant than the next, didn't think there ever would be another who could equal, if not surpass your braininess, eh?" An evil chuckle exuded from Erebus as he watched the other two masked men. 

Shifting his gaze from the 9mm to the eyes of the masked man, Jarod's anxiety rose dramatically. The disturbingly pleasant and twistedly wicked expression in Erebus' eyes explained much to Jarod. This was a man who was thoroughly different from the banally evil men he had brought to justice over the years and immeasurably more dangerous. The bedroom door again began to open and Jarod saw Ethan peering through the gap. A quick glance at Erebus quieted Jarod's urge to call out a warning to his brother, as the other swiftly extracted a second automatic from the small of his back and pointed it at Ethan through the door panel. 

Puzzled, Ethan noticed his brothers standing at one end of the room and was about to leave when a deep voice commanded, "Come in." Knowing his life was suddenly in jeopardy, Ethan raised his hands in surrender and as a silent warning, then slowly entered the room. Glancing around he saw a couple tied and gagged on the king-sized bed. As he came further in the room, Erebus placed one of his weapons to the base of Ethan's skull. 

"And who might you be?" 

He was about to answer with his name when suddenly his instincts took over again. "Mirage," he answered. 

"Interesting. I have a menagerie of code and project names before me, including one that belongs to my long overdue back-up. Only one of you will be returning to the fold a--" Before Erebus could complete his sentence, the butt of a 9mm connected with the back of his head, crumpling him to the floor. Alex and Jarod both reacted and pounced on the other man, relieving Erebus of his weapons and patting him down. Jarod removed the leather sack slung across Erebus' body which turned out to be his murder kit complete with a custom weighted tokusho keibo or steel telescoping baton, nylon rope, a small hankerchief in a plastic sandwich bag, plastic specimen containers, duct tape and a separate case with several hypodermic needles and vials filled with a thick liquid. Looking up, Jarod favored his benefactress with a bright boyish grin. A masked Parker stepped further into the room and nodded to the rest of the group. Ethan stepped around them and approached the adults on the bed.

"Are you hurt? Did he give either of you an injection?"

Dual negative head shakes reassured him that Erebus truly hadn't started without them. Ethan was about to untie the couple when Alex vetoed his intentions. "No, leave them alone for now. We have a few things to figure out before we do anything else. How many sweepers did you shoot outside?" 

"I got 4 when my gun jammed. Had to hit the fifth one over the head," Ethan answered. 

"I took out another 4 when I decided to help out Ethan," Parker answered quietly. Looking at her twin's darkly, cheerful expression she asked, "Are we keeping with the plan? Judging by the look on your face, I would assume a few things have changed." 

"Nothing's changed, I always planned on killing this walking nightmare," Alex replied promptly. At the stunned silence that followed he looked up and said in a raspy whisper, "Alive, he will just return to the Centre and continue assassinating their targets. Not to mention trying to hunt us down because we were the ones who captured him and not the other way around. Nothing will stop him or deter him and he is the chief money maker for the Centre. Taking him out will cripple them for a long time." 

Jarod, after getting a good look at Erebus, was forced to agree with Alex--much to his chagrin. Without shifting his attention away from the monstrosity in his grip, he asked Parker, "Were you able to find the target?" 

"He's out cold in one of the other bedrooms. I couldn't wake him but otherwise he seems to be fine," she answered quietly. Nodding slightly at Erebus she said, "His Control is in the other room, Ethan and I had to shove her through a window but we got her in here. She should be out for another hour or so." 

"She's the control? What is she, his girlfriend or something? How horrible," Ethan muttered with distaste recalling Erebus' horror movie sounding voice. The woman he caught had beautiful blonde hair with a face to match. It must be a living nightmare for her to be tied in anyway to this cretin.

"I'm forced to agree but to answer your question, yes she's 'or something' for him. After getting a look at his eyes, I can't imagine anyone being able to keep him together but apparently she's had some effect on him or they would have terminated her by now," Alex said with light sarcasm.

"Let's finish this before Lyle works up some courage to come in here and check up on what's keeping his little fiend," Jarod said evenly. Before he released his grip on Erebus, the fiend regained consciousness suddenly and unexpectedly reared up, knocking Alex completely off balance and almost succeeded in loosening Jarod's iron grip. 

With a little vindictiveness, Alex righted himself and grabbing Erebus by the neck, he lifted the masked face upwards, bowing his back. Leaning over, Alex said, "Let me introduce you to my twin, you bottom-feeding piece of shit, the Ice-Princess. She's got a brutal left hook, wouldn't you agree?"

Parker looked into the calmly debased expression in Erebus' eyes and shuddered involuntarily. Ethan who was standing next to his sister, felt his mouth go dry at the waves of wrongness emanating from Erebus.

"Kill you. I'm going to kill you. I'm going to kill you," Erebus stated with eerie certainty in his funereal whisper as he returned Parker's morbidly fascinated stare. He continued to chant the threat despite the practical strangle-hold Alex had on his throat.

In irritated disgust, Parker rolled her eyes and in averting her gaze, her eyes caught sight of a half-eaten knish resting on a dish on the bedside stand. Inspiration hit and she reacted swiftly, grabbing the pastry and unsympathetically ripping the duct tape from the lips of the male victim on the bed, she forced the knish into Erebus' mouth and sealed the deal with the borrowed piece of duct tape.

"You need a new tune. Try chewing on that for a while," she said flatly. Exchanging a quick glance at Jarod, she pulled out her cell phone. The male victim on the bed remained silent, his lips still smarting from their abrupt freedom. Both he and his wife listened carefully to the exchange and the sudden switch in control that had occurred. 

The room remained quiet while Parker spoke on the phone. "Trooper Vance? How nice to hear _your _voice this time. You probably don't remember but I'm one of the Samaritans who helped free your kidnapped brother-in-law some time back. Well, we've found ourselves in another situation and need your help. Come to the address I'm about to give you and bring some help along with a few forensic scientists." She paused for a moment and listened. "Trust me. You're about to solve the Orphan-Maker case that has stumped the Feds for the last few months. Fortunately for your brilliant detective work and sharp eye, the latest victims are unharmed and the suspect is laying next a murder kit unconscious and ready for transport to jail. The only catch is this sweet-heart deal has a half -life that is expiring as we waste time talking. She then rattled off the address and brusquely ended the call. "He'll be here in about 20 minutes or less." 

"Good, we've got him secured now," Jarod replied with satisfaction as he relaxed his lock-grip on Erebus' wrist and shoulder.

"What are we going to do with him?" Ethan asked uncertainly. 

"Erebus goes with us, his Control will stay behind and try to explain herself to the authorities, which ought to be interesting," Alex stated. When Erebus heard this, the one small shred of decency hiding in his consciousness pierced his fetid mind. In desperation, he started struggling in protest to their plan and in his anger, he unwisely breathed in a large chunk of knish which promptly lodged itself in his airway completely cutting off his supply. This exacerbated his struggles which the others took as an example of his unhappiness. 

Watching Erebus slowly calm down, Ethan looked up and stated, "Are you sure about this? I just caught her watching the house acting like a look-out." 

"Early in the case, the forensics suggested that at the first murder scene another person had to be there to subdue the second victim who had tried to run away while the first was being tortured. She is complicit and actively helped him." Jarod stated. Walking over to the male victim on the bed, Jarod squatted down and said softly, "I apologize for keeping you tied up like this, but it's necessary for the police to find you as you are. Someone will pay for this crime against your family and the other families as well. Do you have access to any resources?" 

The man blinked and nodded. "We have money and jewelry, take whatever you want. Please don't harm my family," he rasped hoarsely. His eyes were wide with fear and apprehension. 

"We're not the ones who will be needing it. When this is over, you'll need that money to leave here and disappear." Extracting a piece of paper from one of his numerous pockets, Jarod held it up in front of the man's face, then gently slid it in the jacket pocket of his pajamas. "Once all the furor has died down and your ready, call that number. Your family will be safe while the spotlight remains on you, but once that fades you'll be in grave danger again. The people who sent him," Jarod nodded at Erebus' now limp body, giving the murderer a double-take glance, "will try again. It's your son they're after and killing you to get him won't deter them. All we ask in return is for you not to mention our presence, it'll complicate things." 

"I understand. The Centre is behind this, isn't it? Somehow, I always knew those people were too good to be true. They were too interested in Danny. You have my word and…thank you, all of you." 

Jarod nodded distractedly, then moved quickly over to Erebus. Shielding his actions from the others, he felt the pretender's neck and couldn't find a pulse. Carefully, he halfway removed the duct tape to find the murderer's mouth still filled with knish. Erebus' eyes were open wide and staring in death. Jarod replaced the duct tape, then turning to Ethan and Parker asked them to bring Erebus' Control into the room to switch places. When they left, Jarod closed the dead man's eyes and whispered to Alex that Erebus was already dead. At the puzzled look on Alex's face, Jarod commented softly, "the knish."

Understanding flooded Alex's mind as he nodded distractedly. "Let her believe I did it. It'll make things easier for now." 

As Parker and Ethan returned with the still unconscious partner, Alex leaned over and punched the dead man in the face several times. With Jarod's help they expertly switched the bodies, then left, leaving few traces of their visit and taking Erebus with them. 

**__**


	11. Chapter XI Pretty packages tied up nicel...

Disclaimer: Please see chapter 1 for the usual statements 

**__**

The things I do…

Chapter XI

By Callisto

**__**

The Centre

Blue Cove, DE 

Several days had passed since the debacle in Iowa. Ten minutes after both Erebus and his Control failed to checked in along with the sweepers sent in as back-up, Lyle ventured to the home with foreboding bordering on consternation to see what was happening. Once he and Willie encountered the first two unconscious sweepers, Lyle knew the whole operation had gone south. With swift efficiency, he ordered Willie to get the back-up unit who were still waiting in the van to assist in the clean-up of fallen sweepers. Continuing along on his own, Lyle spotted a few more unconscious sweepers and approached the slightly open window that was Erebus' point of entry. Frowning unhappily, he reached up with his gloved hands and was about to tug the screen off the window when the wail of approaching police units sounded in the distance, disturbing the already unsettled night air. Lyle knew for certain those sirens were headed for this house, so without any further ado, he abandoned Erebus and Control to their fates, and helped Willie with the rest of the sweepers, erasing any obvious traces of their presence. They were able to pull away from their hiding spot in the neighborhood just as the state authorities were arriving.

Leaning back in his office chair, Lyle wondered if it had been wise to return to the Centre at all but of course Willie had been hanging around a lot more than usual which was a sure sign Raines had already considered Lyle's fleeting urge to take a sudden and extended vacation. Nothing had been heard from Erebus and this too was a bad sign. Unfortunately, the Centre had already seen too much of his Control all over television as news of her arrest made the top story across the nation as the second most prolific female serial killer. Her capture was an embarrassing moment for not only the FBI profilers who were certain the suspect was a white male of extraordinary intelligence but for Lyle as well who now seemed incapable of supervising a simple retrieval of a little boy. As one of the most notorious female serial killer to date, Control was paraded as a gruesome and horrifying evolution of the female criminal mind and held up to extensive media coverage. Pundits and pop-psychiatrists came out of the woodwork trying to explain her reasons for committing the gruesome murders, from displaced motherhood theories to early sexual child abuse issues, everyone had an opinion and the media made sure that the public at large would hear, read or watch them all--ad nauseam. 

Raines watched the fiasco of Control's capture with unbridled anger. Having his people laid bare to public scrutiny was intolerable. The potential for Centre exposure was unacceptable. The fact that this had occurred at all was unsurprising since it was Lyle who was in charge of the project. Lyle had his uses but this apparently wasn't one of them. Retaliatory ideas of the best way to scale back Lyle's sphere of influence in a manner to cause the most pain to his wayward sociopath project flitted restlessly through the extensive misery database in his mind. Leaning back in his comfortable chair, Raines came to the decision to let things go as they currently were and when the Triumvirate came to feed, he would happily throw Lyle to them as a token of his unflinching loyalty and support. Raines remained sequestered in his office for most of the following week until Willie came to announce that a crate had arrived with Mr. Lyle's name on it. No one had touched it, knowing the Chairman's present mood. Staring balefully at Willie, he ordered the sweeper to bring the crate to the pursuit team's old sim office and to escort Lyle there as well. Ten minutes later, Lyle, Raines, Willie and Miles, the sweeper were assembled in the outer sim room, all of them staring at the heavy wooden crate before them.

Never a patient man, Lyle stepped forward and ripped the shipping manifest off the crate and read aloud, "MidWay Body Shop--Classic and vintage body parts from the golden era of the mid-late 60's." With a small huff of disbelief, Lyle continued, "I can't stand any car over 2 years old, this must be a joke of some kind--probably from Jarod." Casting an anxious and disgusted look at the package, Lyle looked to Raines whose eyes shifted from the crate to Lyle, then back again. Lyle took this look to be that of permission and nodding to Willie, stated in a voice full of weary resignation, "open it." 

Miles and Willie used crowbars on either side of the crate and finally working one side loose, managed to muscle it open. A copious amount of styrofoam popcorn tumbled out along with a large package sealed in heavy, green plastic. Willie, grabbed a box-cutter knife from a nearby table and neatly slit a large hole in the bag. An overpoweringly foul odor of decomposing flesh leeched out and immediately permeated the room. The sweepers and Lyle held the noses, Raines seemed completely unaffected by the stomach churning stench. 

"Willie, cut away the rest of the plastic and let's see what this is," Raines commanded dispassionately.

When he was done, the bloated face of Erebus, with his mouth still duct taped was revealed. Attached to his chest was a white envelope addressed to "the damned". Willie, no longer holding his nose, snatched the envelope off the dead pretender and looked at his boss. He placed the envelope into Raines' outstretched hand and began to search the rest of the crate for anymore items of interest. 

Raines opened the single sheet of paper and began to read. His face turned white as he turned his soulless gaze on his disgraced protégé. Lyle was watching Raines' face as he read, knowing this had to be another taunt from Jarod, though he was surprised Jarod would have expressed himself in this manner. Taking the note from Raines, it read: "By the time you receive this, he should be tenderized to medium-rare. I realized this was an extremely rare and expensive piece of property, so I took care in its delivery. Eat up, Lyle. This will probably prove to be your last meal in quite some time. That is if Daddy Raines doesn't kill you before I do."

There was no signature but the tone and wording could only be from one person--Alex. A controlled burning rage coursed through Lyle's veins. He knew Raines was considering his termination but this insult from that sicko Alex irked him to no end. Swiftly coming to a decision, Lyle decided hunting down Alex would become his focus after tying up a few loose ends at the Centre. With the time left to him, he would get what was left of Project Regeneration off the ground and into the final stages. There wouldn't be any back-ups but they had at least one pretender showing good promise, enough to guarantee the Centre a future and perhaps a little revenge against Jarod and his little helpers well. Lyle looked blankly at Raines, then turned and left the room. Willie glanced at his master who was smiling incongruously. Raines was satisfied with the embarrassment Alex had heaped on Lyle and Lyle's adverse, practically murderous reaction. He had backup plans of his own and there was a contingency plan Mr. Lyle was unaware existed and one that would continue to keep the Centre afloat despite this devastating set-back. This contingency plan was something on a scale that surpassed Erebus himself.

**__**

The Renaissance Hotel

Pittsburgh, PA 

Parting is always hard to do. It was something Parker particularly hated as she packed up the last of his things. In the past couple weeks she had grown attached to Cyrus, much as she had to Broots' daughter, Debbie. Only this time, the good-bye would be permanent and through their acquaintance had been relatively short, the boy managed to eke a place for himself in her heart.

Jarod had arranged with some contacts in Seattle, for the boy to start a new and anonymous life out there, where he could still enjoy a modicum of normalcy. Today he was leaving, and after saying good-bye to Ethan, Cyrus turned to his friend and first crush. Holding back the tears, Parker folded herself into a squat and allowed the child to throw himself into her arms. She held him tightly, committing every small detail of him to memory. Finally she released him, stood up and took a step away from him, clasping her hands tightly behind her back and turning her face away from the boy. Cyrus stood his ground looking up at her forlornly. It was Jarod who picked the child up and asked him if he were ready to go. Cyrus barely heard the question, he had raised his hand towards Parker, as though trying to touch her hair when Jarod put him down. Alex saw and understood the boy's gesture. Knowing what the boy was reaching for, he picked up Cyrus again as he was walking to the door and said, "Hey, I saw that and I know how you feel. It feels like heavy silk. This is going to be your last chance, so go ahead." Stepping over to his twin with Cyrus in his arms, he nodded to the kid. Cyrus looked at Parker with worshipful admiration. He then looked at Alex and whispered softly, "She's prettier than Princess Jasmine." 

Cyrus reached out again and hesitantly ran his fingers through her hair. A pleased expression sprang immediately to his face. She smiled at the two of them as Cyrus shyly returned her smile. Alex put him down and the boy waved his final good-byes to the Centre refugees who had saved his life and sanity, as Jarod led him gently away towards his new life in Seattle. 

Two days later, news reports and headlines were shouting that the Orphan-maker serial killer somehow managed to commit suicide in her high security cell. The attorney hired to represent her could not be found to offer a trite sound-bite leaving massive speculation and investigations. Despite the suspect's death, Trooper Vance was commended several times for his excellent investigative and organizational skills and promoted 2 grades to Sergeant. Both Parker and Jarod smiled at the news knowing that Sergeant Vance was wondering who his benefactors were, how they knew or obtained the information they got and when he would be hearing from them next.

The lovers had sat down to a light dinner of Caesar salads. Parker was picking at her plate when she asked quietly, "It was the knish I stuffed in his mouth that killed him, wasn't it?" 

"Yes and no. He was still alive after you taped the knish in his mouth. He must have drawn in his breath when he heard our plan to leave his Control behind to take the fall for his crimes. It was then he began to struggle so much. We all believed it was to express his displeasure, which I still believe it was, only in the end he was trying to breathe as well." Jarod paused looking at his companion, then continued quietly, "Alex was right, eventually Erebus would have found a way out of his cell for the criminally insane. In retrospect, this is probably the best outcome." 

The next morning, Alex and Ethan decided it was time to get their minds off the Centre and to take in some sights before they headed back to Wisconsin the next evening. They also decided some long overdue family time was in order as well and found themselves pounding on Parker and Jarod's hotel room door. 

Slightly earlier, Parker was stretched out on the couch, reading a paperback suspense novel. Jarod came out of their bedroom, showered, shaved and half dressed, looking delectable. His hair had been professionally barbered, his cheeks closely shaven, his shirt missing and the top button of his dress pants left tantalizingly undone. Understandably, Parker hadn't been in the mood for the past few days, which for Jarod was a few days too long. He stared at the beautiful woman concentrating on her book and decided he needed some attention. Barefoot he padded over to the couch and cleared his throat discreetly. Parker lowered her book and looked at her man. The expression on his face made it clear what he wanted. Pausing, she stared at him then invitingly smiled at him. Jarod grinned happily, eased on top of her, kissed her neck, then started to unbutton her blouse. The scent of her perfume practically undid him. He continued to drop kisses on her chest and for good measure lightly scrapped his teeth across her sensitive skin. He was doing this for his own enjoyment but her soft, pleasurable moan was its own bonus. Jarod smiled widely and kissed her mouth, tasting her and relishing the contact, while smoothly untucking her blouse. By the time Alex and Ethan showed up to pound on their door, they were comfortably intertwined and the interruption was more than a little irritating.

"It's Ethan and Alex," she said when the persistent pounding distracted Jarod and curtailed her enjoyment. A determined grin appeared on her face when she turned her lover's head back towards her and said in a sultry voice, "Don't stop, I'll deal with it." Jarod frowned inquisitively, then at the urging of her right hand on his bare buttock, he resumed, eliciting another pleasure-filled moan from her. Remembering what Ethan had told her about the connection she shared with Alex, Parker cleared her mind as Jarod returned to his slow, erotic trek to the right spot. Jarod's efforts were causing a surge of emotion to fill her mind, an emotion she decided to share with her twin. 

Alex was enveloped in warmth, pleasure and ecstasy at the same time. The emotion filled his mind and body, almost slamming him into the opposite wall. The sensation departed as swiftly as it came, leaving Alex disconcerted and discombobulated. Swiftly he collected himself, then looking at Ethan's concerned face, stated, "Aw, Hell. That Minx," he said to himself. Then to Ethan, "Come on kid, they want some privacy. We'll catch up to her later." 


	12. Chapter XII Home again

__

Disclaimer: Please see the usual statements in Chapter 1. 

Author's note: For those who are still reading, thanks! And Happy ThanksGiving!!

****

The things I do…

Chapter XII

By Callisto

****

Jarod's Lair

Green Lake, WI 

Several days had passed since the return of Jarod, Parker and her brothers. Their initial reception was warm and loving--for Jarod and Ethan. The twins received a more measured welcome, the Major grinned broadly at Parker, Emil greeted her happily and towards Alex, he was cautiously friendly. Though their initial reception was more than she expected, the following days proved to be more of a challenge. Margaret had some difficulty adjusting to the idea that her son and Parker were lovers. 

By the middle of the first week of their return Jarod's mother stopped by his room unexpectedly. It was unexpected because of the inner tumultuous conundrum Margaret was undergoing. She was grateful for what Parker had done for her and her family but couldn't help quell the suspicions that crept in her mind about the younger woman's motives. As a result, she tended to avoid Parker whenever possible. At first she knocked on the partially opened bedroom door, when there was no response, she cautiously entered, looked around and found the room empty. She was on the brink of leaving when she heard footsteps behind her. Abruptly, Parker appeared on the opposite side of the room and found herself face to face with Jarod's mother. Having just had her way with Jarod in their bathroom, Parker stepped out to finish dressing while he lounged happily in the tub. She was still wet from the bath and was now wearing a white tank top and khaki shorts. Her dark hair was longer than usual and her Centre inspired thinness was only partially hidden by the almost baggy clothing but still somehow managed to make her look glamorously chic. The women faced each other silently and stared. 

"Miss Parker," Margaret said softly unable to conceal the reproachful note in her voice.

Parker was about to advance several more steps when the bathroom door opened suddenly. "Hey, what are you doing with clothes on?" a pleasantly, baritone voice asked with the same gentle reproachful note as his mother. Without looking around, Parker snatched the towel from around her neck and tossed it with great accuracy at Jarod, who remained just barely out of sight inside the doorway. Margaret's eyes caught her son's widened gaze as he peered sheepishly past the doorway at his mother while wrapping Parker's towel around his naked midsection and returned to the bathroom.

When the door closed behind Jarod, Margaret smiled fondly at her eldest child's embarrassment, then she looked at Parker who walked around her to the bed. Staring after the younger woman, Margaret suddenly felt haunted by the ghost of her long dead friend. Only that ghost would never have slept with her best friend's son and the thought of her friend's daughter doing so, did little to mitigate her uneasiness towards the situation. Taking a deep breath, Margaret turned to Parker and said quietly, "I would like to thank you on behalf of my entire family for your part in reuniting us."

Parker could feel Margaret's torn emotions and reaching for a paperback book she had been reading since her return, she straightened and walked past the older woman saying, "there's no need to strain yourself, I did it for someone in particular, not you." Her statement was made with quiet firmness, her tone devoid of any rancor or sarcasm. 

Margaret digested this response for a few moments, then turned and followed Parker out of the bedroom and through the hall. "You did this for my son for which I am doubly grateful. Your mother would have been very proud of you." 

Parker's teeth ground at the mention of her mother. Margaret had supplied only a few details about her relationship with Catherine and it had been obvious from the start that Parker had hit yet another human dead end when she easily surmised that Margaret wouldn't share any more than the skimpy morsels she had already divulged which was practically nothing. Jarod had plead with his mother to be more explicit but she refused to budge. Now throwing out this tidbit almost irked Parker into striking back verbally. Stopping in her tracks, she took several deep breaths, then resumed her path down the hall and towards the kitchen, ignoring Jarod's mother completely.

Margaret had heard the stories about Parker's relationship with Jarod but knew little of the younger woman's life after the death of her mother. She had even viewed most of the DSA's that featured Parker in Jarod's stolen Centre archive files, however there wasn't much to go on to explain the younger woman's behavior and loyalties. Margaret saw Parker pause at the reference to her mother and let the slight go without comment. At this point, Margaret couldn't conceive any inducement that would convince her to trust Parker enough to tell her about the friendship she shared with Catherine. Besides the secrets she harbored were meant to be kept. She had voluntarily promised Catherine and the lives of both Parker and Jarod depended on their continued ignorance. Needling Parker was her way of seeing past the icy exterior the younger woman presented to the world but Parker refused to let her guard down for even a second. Giving Parker a calculated look, she decided another dig just might make her explode and give Margaret a peek at the real woman inside, the one who snake-charmed her eldest son into loving her so devotedly. She had been told that Parker shared her mother's gift. Catherine's use of her inner sense still bewildered Margaret but her complete trust in her dead friend made her watchful for any of the signs she had been given to search for. Before she could begin, Parker responded to the first part of Margaret's dig, silencing the older woman. 

"Actually, I did it for a beautiful little boy I fell in love with when I was 12. I promised myself that if I was ever able to help him find his mother than I would do everything in my power to make it happen." 

Margaret watched Parker's face which was stoic while she poured herself a glass of juice. There was a resoluteness in her expression which made it seem as though she had come to a decision. Though she was curious, Margaret let it go, confident that she would see the results of it soon. 

Jarod joined them soon after this short tête-à-tête and poured a glass of juice for himself. His entrance was followed closely by that of his father and Emily from the back yard, and Emil bounding down from the stairs. Alex and Ethan were already in the living room and had heard Parker's explanation to Margaret. Glancing at the closed expression on his lover's face, Jarod knew she had another run in with his mother. Understanding Parker and finally being supplied the answers to Alex's taunting questions from almost two years ago, Jarod knew he had to bring this tense situation to a head and present his family with some home truths none of them was expecting to face. Having simmed this particular situation while they were in Pittsburgh, he already had a feel of the probable outcome. Patient like a cat, Jarod waited until Parker turned to leave the room and catching her around the waist he pulled her into a tight embrace and kissed her fully on the mouth. Gone was the usual eager and tantalizingly drawn out response he was used to receiving. She had made it clear that there would be no public displays of affection or PDA's as she put it, in front of his family. He had listened to her declaration on the way down to the rental car in the hotel garage and accepted it grudgingly. He had grown used to kissing, holding and touching her without much restriction. This draconian rule was more than he was willing to stand for much longer anyway.

Parker pushed away from him, shooting him a baleful glance. He stared back with a determination that gave her pause and him enough leeway to kiss her again before releasing her. The look on his face was playful and loving, causing her to relax suddenly and stare sternly at him. 

"Did you ever wonder where the Centre came up with the Control portion of the Jongewaard protocol?" 

Frowning at his sudden change in subject, Parker's expression changed mercurially into that of irritated confusion. "Not really. I figured it was a patch they discovered was needed through trial and error. Or some genius told them it was necessary," she answered pointedly. 

"Neither, it was something they came up with on their own. Sydney and his twin brother thought up the idea, wrote a sub-protocol and profile. It was quite ingenious in its own right. From what I understand, the Centre is still receiving residuals from a few internet sites that use the basic profile they created."

"Wow," she responded with mild sarcasm, giving Jarod a look that told him she thought he was going off on a bizarre tangent. Parker again pushed away from his arms and would have left the kitchen but Jarod held her arm with gentle firmness.

Never taking his eyes off his lover for a second, Jarod addressed his entire family, briefly explaining what the Jongewaard protocol was and how it had been modified for pretenders. Everyone, save Catherine Parker's children, listened with horror and saddened disgust. Alex smiled slightly, knowing exactly where Jarod was going with this scenario and silently approved of his extremely clever method--his execution was practically flawless. 

"Now, Sydney, you met him Dad, remember?" At the Major's affirmative nod, Jarod continued, "He figured that a protocol of this scope would need to have a Control feature. Another person who would be able to stabilize the target, keeping him or her content, rooted and focused. Someone the target or pretender would trust unconditionally, could confide in, even love. The other person would be called a Control because that was precisely what they were doing, controlling the pretender's moods and directing his desires." Jarod noted the bored but wary look on Parker's face, she already knew this but was wondering where Jarod was going with his story. 

"Of course any new feature to a protocol would have to be tested for its effectiveness, in short, to make sure it actually did what it was designed to do." Jarod stared into Parker's eyes, then changed his voice so it was deep and soft like a silky caress, "we are the prototype."

Parker's eyes narrowed with disbelief as she stared mutely into Jarod's face. Her brow furrowed with concentration as she compared his conclusion with her memory. The shock slackened expression on her face told the others she remembered the details and could see Jarod's logic. 

"The sexual attraction experiment when we were introduced," she replied quietly. 

"Sydney had me formulate the necessary categories they used to plug in the psychological and personality profiles. He used an early version of a computer database and loaded in details he knew of my personality, then loaded the profiles of other children in and around the Centre complex. The program I designed worked better than they anticipated, it spat out a name almost immediately."

"Mine. Dr Phil and Dr. Ruth got together and made an early version of Cupid.org then used the results," she said with sickened anger. Yet another revelation of how both she and Jarod had been used. 

"Then why didn't they continue using it? If what you're saying is true, then using Miss Parker as an emotional tie to keep you at the Centre would have worked. Why didn't they?" Emil asked curiously.

Alex, now sporting a full, cynical grin asked the more relevant question, "Something always goes wrong with prototypes, do you know where the miscalculation is here?"

"We were too young. The current protocol calls for the subject to be introduced to his Control once he is in his early twenties and after his first sexual experience," Parker replied quietly, holding onto one of Jarod's arms for support. "They watched us every second we were together. My God, my mother had to be in on this as well." 

"Not necessarily. They probably told her what they told us, that it was a sexual attraction experiment. I was even encased in a plastic room so there would be no physical contact. You're partially right, we were too young but they were initially interested in our interaction to see if their calculations actually worked, if we would really be attracted to each other and if so, would our relationship evolve in the prescribed way."

"_I'm_ your Control? Oh brother, that's a laugh. They must have been disappointed when we turned out to be only friends," she replied bitterly, having no difficulty in accepting Jarod's version of what her mother was probably told. 

"No, they weren't. Everything was going according to schedule when they realized they had forgotten something," Jarod replied quietly, carefully watching Parker's face. He was providing this explanation to his family but also for her benefit so she would stop thinking of leaving him. 

The room was silent for several seconds, Parker then covered her mouth and muttered softly, "Puberty. They forgot we both were probably going through it at the same time. The last thing they would want is for you to lose precious time by being horny."

Smiling rakishly, Jarod looked in her eyes and shook his head. Staring into her face, while holding one of her hands he replied, "They didn't count on the protocol working on both of us. Sure, it controlled me, you made sure of that but it controlled you as well." Jarod leaned forward, rubbed his nose against hers, then brushed his cheek against hers in the same manner as he had done over 25 years earlier. A large smile broke brilliantly across Parker's face as she rubbed her cheek against his, placed her forehead on the top of his shoulder and embraced him. 

With a small chuckle, she raised her head and looking into his eyes said, "You spoiled me rotten, Genius."

"Your father hated the loss of control. He wanted you securely under his thumb and didn't want you to start ignoring him in favor of me, which was what had started to happen according to Sydney. He craved your loyalty because he knew it was a source of power for him. To have an unacknowledged pretender doing his bidding and making things work his way was the epitome of control. So he twisted the other elements of the protocol and took you away. You were the earliest prototype of the protocol being used on a pretender. Sydney was appalled by Mr. Parker's success, he had hoped that your mother's early teachings would have kept you from falling in the trap but you had no support, you were all alone. I promise you'll never be alone again," Jarod said with the utmost sincerity. Deliberately, he leaned forward and kissed her again. This time he received the response that had been lacking the first time. When he could speak again, he looked into her eyes again and said, "You know what I want." 

Parker closed her eyes for a few moments and nodded slowly. Jarod was about to speak again when she placed her hand gently on his soft lips. Looking at him, she effectively shut out the fact they were surrounded by his family. "I'm not ready. You now know some of the things that were done to me. Everyone I've ever loved has died, I don't know what I would do if my Control died on me too." 

"Hey, it doesn't work that way. You're the Control, I'm the target," he replied softly, attempting to deflect her morbid observation. 

"We're prototypes, nothing's a certainty with us. If our past is anything to go by, we're each other's Control," she said.

"So that's what she meant! All these years, I've been searching, trying to figure out what she was talking about and this is it," Margaret stated out loud, staring at her son and soon to be daughter-in-law. "Catherine told me that they would do something to her daughter and the voices told her there was nothing she could do to stop it. Mr. Parker posed as your father and refused to let you out of his sight. That's why it was near impossible to get you away from there. Catherine wanted you to be the first child rescued, of course it was a natural reaction," Margaret said in a rush as she exhaled heavily. "That bastard had you watched every second of the day, while maintaining his distance. He was putting himself in the position to become your mentor. My God, if he weren't already dead, I would find him and put a bullet in his head. Not just for the murder of my friend but for the havoc he wrecked in her children's lives." Margaret said this as she paced across the breakfast bar area.

"Mom, there wasn't any way for you to know what was going on. Beating yourself up now is useless," Emily said soothingly to her mother. 

"No. I was continuing it, after I promised so faithfully," she murmured so mournfully. Turning abruptly to Parker she straightened her already straight posture more and looking into Parker's mildly puzzled eyes said, "I apologize for my terrible behavior. I thought your being here was another trick. I convinced myself that I could dig through the surface façade and find the Centre lurking underneath your mask.

Parker remained securely within one of Jarod's arms as she stared curiously at Margaret and her sudden outburst. Noticing the relieved satisfaction in Jarod's eyes told her this was the result he had wanted. Involuntarily her eyes slid over to her twin and narrowed thoughtfully. He stared back and realized what she was about to do. Before he could say something to break Margaret's mood, Parker asked in a shaky voice, "Do you know who my father is?" 

Margaret, still appalled that she hadn't put together the pieces earlier and horrified by her earlier behavior to Parker, nodded distractedly. Being Jarod's mother, made her almost equally fast in putting together any puzzle even if she were blind to where all the pieces were lying. Therefore glancing into the information-hungry look in Parker's eyes, Margaret was gratified to be able to answer at least this question for the younger woman. 

"Morwen, all I know is that your father's name is Jacob. Catherine never said his last name and seemed nervous for even entrusting me with this small bit of information. I truly hope that helps…" her voice trailed off at the shocked and whitened complexion of Parker's face. 

"What's wrong?" Major Charles asked. 

"He watched me talking to him, trying to get him to tell me what he remembered of my mother and said nothing. I watched my father die and Sydney remained silent, he never said a word," Parker said in a trembling voice. She looked in Jarod's face and saw a similar shocked expression. Finally trusting her instincts where they concerned him, she knew he had been as much in the dark as she. Breaking away from his arm she walked purposely towards her twin and stared angrily at him.

"You knew, didn't you? Don't bother lying to me, I could tell you knew after we risked our lives saving you. We joined you in this insane crusade against the Centre and still you didn't say anything. Why?"

Alex looked up and gave his twin a rueful smile. "It wasn't my place to tell you. I knew you were growing closer with our Uncle. With Parker dead the temptation to tell you would overwhelm him. It almost did but Jarod decided to act on his emotions and lure you away from the Centre before Sydney could sign his death warrant. Raines would have killed the good doctor the second he found out. You see Jarod is right in what he told everyone about the protocol. Sydney didn't put all the pieces together until you were sent away to complete your Classical education. The poor old coot had to somehow maintain his distance from you, so he tried to bury all his paternal feelings in Jarod and Nicholas when you were the one standing right next to him. Must have drove the poor guy nuts but he deserved it cause he never told you about our mother not dying in that elevator. If he had, then you would have started looking for the truth sooner and turned on that emotional vampire you used to call a father."

Parker blinked at the venom in Alex's words. Distant voices in her mind were trying to speak to her again, but her twin started speaking again, partially drowning out their message. 

"I found out about you, our mother, that murdering bastard Raines, his lying, greedy, short-sighted brother Mr. Parker and our little brother while I was interred at the Triumvirate. I had finished a particularly nasty sim when I got hurt. During my recovery and re-education, a Triumvirate lackey name Klouchi was vying for power and needed me to go over the edge so he whispered into my bandaged head what he knew of my family. I went over the edge but not the way he had planned. By the time I finished convalescing I had made my plans for some revenge. The 30 foot fall into the bay, helped me to remember things I had been conditioned to forget. I recalled when I had first heard of the Jongewaard protocol and how my recommendations were used against other pretenders. That's when I decided to refocus my attentions towards those who used me and destroyed my chances of forging a relationship with those who should have been closest to me. So don't imagine that I'm not finished with them by a long shot. If you and lover-boy want out then so be it by me, sister." Alex rose smoothly then exited the room leaving his uncompromising anger in an invisible cloud behind him. 


	13. Chapter XIII Family

**__**

Disclaimer: Please see Chapter 1 for the usual cautionary statements.****

Author's note: I apologize for the extremely long delay in posting this chapter. Thanks for your patience as well as your encouragement.

**** ****

The things I do…

Chapter XIII

By Callisto

**__**

Jarod's family lair

Green Lake, WI

Parker spotted her twin wandering around outside in the backyard. Her own instincts told her that he was on the brink of disappearing from her life once and for all. She decided to reach out to her twin and see if there was any hope of establishing a bond of some sort with him--beyond the visceral reaches of their shared gift.

Alex heard and felt her approach. It was an opportunity he had been hoping for, he wanted a chance to speak with her, to let her know that he would stay in touch but couldn't help being himself. "It must be comforting to know that after losing one family which had been systematically torn apart by murder and death that you've been accepted into another with such admirable ease. I would also like to point out that the fellow has designs on you that I'm not too sure I approve of--as your eldest brother." 

Parker smiled faintly and stood quietly next to her sociopath twin. She felt strangely comfortable in his presence--something she never felt with Lyle. He didn't seem to suffer from any of the barely concealed sexual attraction that always seemed on the brink of unveiling itself with crazy Lyle.

"I have the feeling you're about to leave and although for _you _eating a Popsicle is the same as killing someone, I can't help but care about your non-existent feelings. We're family and that means something to me." 

"I almost killed you at one time. How can you feel anything for me other than apprehension and fear?" 

"I'm not afraid of you--sorry to disappoint. I can barely imagine what was done to you to shape you into the person you are today. But for now, you're right. Losing the only family I've known most of my life around the same time that I found out that he wasn't any relation to me, hurts and relieves me in ways I'm still struggling to explain even to myself." 

Alex nodded absently, changing direction and walking slowly towards the barn. "I'm glad I was able to resist my baser instincts and not murder you from a misguided hatred that you were given all the love and attention that should have been shared between us," he replied with a grim smile. 

"If memory serves, it was Jarod who changed your mind and influenced your unexpected moral itch by heaving a weighted joist aimed at your head. I'm not stupid little brother, nor am I getting maudlin in my old age. You've changed since the first time we formally met. I want to enjoy that while I still have you," Parker said with studied impassivity.

"What exactly do you have in mind?" Alex asked with a snort of disbelief hiding his utter shock. 

"Have dinner with me. I know you're leaving tomorrow and I want to spend a little time with you," she replied without displaying any of the nervousness she actually felt. 

Alex stared ahead as he considered her offer. "What about 'the family'? They're expecting you to eat with them tonight. You don't want to spoil a good thing. Jarod had to do some pretty impressive maneuvering to get his mother to see what she was doing." 

"I want to spend some time with you, now. Neither one of us knows when this opportunity will present itself again. Humor me," she said quietly as she wound her arm through his. He automatically brought his arm at a right angle completing the link.

"Hey, it's alright with me," he replied in the same tone. 

"Let's go to a steak house I noticed on the way here. The food is probably terrible but it's the company I'm after."

Ethan observed his siblings talking through the same window Parker had first spotted Alex. A curious feeling engulfed his senses and turning to his father he said, "I think I'll have dinner with them tonight. It's strange, this is the first time it's really occurred to me but we're the family that my mother had always wanted. As much as this family means to me, I want to know them as well." 

With that, Ethan walked through the patio doors and followed his older siblings from the rear yard and towards the barn. He sprinted a bit and almost ran into them as they waited for him at the edge of the driveway. 

"It's about time, Ethan," Parker teased with exaggerated patience. "I knew he would be coming, he's so typical." 

"Typical? In what way?" 

Giving Ethan a genuinely affectionate smile, she wrapped an arm around his shoulders and hugged him to her warmly. "He's the youngest and therefore would want to tag along with his older brother and sister, where ever we go."

"Hey, who else could keep you two out of trouble? Besides, it's about time we had a family dinner." 

Jarod watched what was left of Catherine Parker's family walk slowly down the long driveway. With quiet understanding he returned to putting the finishing touches to his family dinner. He knew it would take some time but he was determined to get Morwen to accept their relationship for what it was, permanent and that her family would naturally become an extension of his own.

The steakhouse had a moderate crowd and the food turned out to be far better than Parker had anticipated but it was conversation she was after. At first the dialogue lagged ominously into silence and she feared that her efforts would go unrealized but she forgot that her twin had abilities heretofore unknown to her and that he had his own reasons for agreeing to this impromptu meeting.

"Let's skip all the chit-chat about our respective childhoods. I think it's safe to say that I probably had it worse than you two but that's a distinction I could have lived a rich and full life without. Morwen, what I wanted to speak to you about is the present which also means the future," Alex began in an amiable tone of voice.

After a lengthy pause, Parker's trademark impatience revealed itself, "Well? What is it you wanted to say?" 

"It's about the Centre. Everything always seems to boil down to that place. I've never been inside but I'm sick of even thinking about it," Ethan remarked with sarcastic disgust. 

"Thank your lucky stars you've never had to live there. What I have to say is for your own good. As bad as Erebus was there is someone worse just waiting in the wings. It was hard enough unearthing that fiend, this next one will be twice as difficult and extremely dangerous," Alex responded. 

"Someone _worse_? I don't think I want to even consider what could be worse then Erebus," Parker said with weary defeat and she sank back and thought about what Alex was implying. 

"Start. Tristian--plain old Tristian, no code names here, just happens to be Erebus' brother. The story goes they were born as conjoined twins and the tricky job of separating them was done by the Centre when they were infants. Erebus had his weaknesses, one being his over-weaning arrogance and believing his own press. Tristian is a different kettle of fish, however, like Erebus he is very dangerous. From what I've learned he is more reserved, cautious and focused. He's smart, methodical and has even fewer weaknesses than Erebus. So far, the only thing I've been able to unearth about Tristian is that he fell in love with his Control, much like a certain prototype we know," Alex said with a nod at his sister. "Unfortunately for us, we may have animated at least one of his weaknesses--revenge. Apparently the twins didn't communicate much but Tristian wouldn't take it too well that we killed his brother." 

"How do you know all this?" Ethan asked.

"I used recently retired Triumvirate lackey Klouchi's access to find out what the Triumvirate knew about any of the Centre's secret projects. They know everything but vigorously maintain their ignorance in order to hold on to their advantage over Raines. Knowledge is power."

"Any idea how long we have before Tristian decides to come hunting for us?" Parker asked quietly. 

"Raines will probably take great pleasure in watching Tristian grieve over his insane brother but he doesn't want to attract the attention of the Triumvirate, so I would guess it will be probably a month, maybe less," Alex replied watching his twin's reactions closely. 

Parker leaned back and mentally digested what Alex had just told her. She would have to share this information with Jarod and decisions had to be made on their own personal course of action. Remaining together would be their best option and if the Jongewaard protocol was to be believed, they were strongest together.

"What about Tristian's tactics? Do you have any suggestions on how we should prepare for any retaliation?" Ethan asked.

"I have less on Tristian than I did on Erebus. The easy part with Erebus is that he was darkly flamboyant and anticipating his strategy was much like figuring out a number progression. Tristian will probably come after us when we least expect it. He'll be given access to our files and time to study us, we won't be the unknown quantity that he will be to us." 

Parker listened to Alex's explanation with impatience. She anticipated Tristian having access to all their files--courtesy of Mr. Raines and his insatiable appetite for power and revenge. There was a more pressing question that came to her mind. "What are _you_ going to do in the meantime?"

"After enjoying a few days of rest and relaxation, I'm going to start reconnaissance on Tristian, if I can find him."

**__**

Sydney's residence

Powell Lake, BC 

The months had passed with a gentle ease that had been missing from most of his life, before the Nazi's showed up dispensing their own brand of death and destruction. Sydney pondered his present and future and the equation kept coming up short. There was the odd time or so when he had felt it necessary to distance himself from his feelings about his niece, he did so with a mercilessness that could leave no one in doubt as to his own emotional detachment towards her. Every time he was forced to do this he felt lessened by yet another degree but he was usually rewarded by the self-satisfied expression on the faces of both Raines and Mr. Parker. Sydney wondered if Parker was aware of their connection, if she was then he could only imagine the depth of her uncompromising anger.

He had been distracted into these thoughts while watching the seabirds dive for fish in the harbor. The morning was quiet, as were most of his days. With a deep sigh, Sydney got up from his comfortable chair and set aside the book of prose he hadn't been reading to refresh his cup of tea. As he was returning, his cell phone began to ring. 

"Hello?" 

"There's been so many secrets and lies bandied about, I thought the damage and pain they had caused would be evident to anyone involved--including you." 

A wide smile graced the elderly psychiatrist's face as the sound of his protégé's voice floated in an melodic baritone through the connection. "I have borne witness to the often devastating effects of the lies, though I must say there are some secrets that need to remain as they are. Jarod, it's always good to hear your voice. How are you doing?" 

"What would be the reason for keeping those secrets? Too many have already taken a few of them to their graves leaving those behind ignorant and blind. Wounds are left to fester by those unanswered questions," Jarod said evenly, barely keeping his anger in check.

"You're angry. What is it? What has spawned this flare of emotion?"

"I've found my mother." 

"That's wonderful, Jarod! Is everything alright? When you found her, was she in good health?"

"Thank you, Sydney. Yes, my mother is fine and she's answered a number of questions--even a few that weren't asked." 

"What sort of questions?" Sydney inquired keenly. He knew he was now at the heart of Jarod's anger. 

"About Jacob and his connection with Catherine Parker." 

"That isn't a secret, Catherine and Jacob worked together to free some of the children who were kidnapped by the Centre," Sydney reasoned cautiously. 

"Why are you holding onto the secrets?" Jarod argued sadly at his former mentor. His heartfelt disappointment bleeding through every word. "You knew Jacob was her father but you said nothing. He died in front of both of you and you cried on her should but remained silent."

Sydney's heart constricted painfully and his lips began to quiver at the onslaught of Jarod's accusations. Dry-eyed Sydney replied in an emotion-choked whisper, "You have no idea how long I've wanted to tell her, but her father was always there. She was so devoted to Mr. Parker and after losing her mother, I knew I could never reveal our connection. In our last session, I told Catherine that I knew Mr. Parker couldn't be her daughter's father. She admitted to me what Jacob had done for her, she was so desperate for a child and swore me to secrecy. Jarod, she told me that Parker threatened her life if their daughter was ever told. He went so far as to insinuate that Miss Parker would suffer the trauma of becoming one of Raines' newest experiments if he ever detected a change in her affection for him." 

"She had a right to know!! You could have explained it to her, told her everything you've just told me. You were both assigned to pursue me, you must have had plenty of chances to reveal what you knew," Jarod pressed. 

"If I did, then her life would have been in danger. After being imprisoned in a concentration camp, I could never stand by and see another member of my family, whether they were aware of being family or not, in a similar situation."

Only the heartfelt and solemn declaration could shock Jarod into silence. He vividly remembered the day he had asked Sydney about the number he saw tattooed on the psychiatrist's forearm. Before Jarod could compose himself to respond, Sydney did it for him. 

"Tell her I've always loved her and that I believe her greatest gift to her father was being able to see her the day he died." With that Sydney severed the connection, leaving Jarod stunned and his mentor emotionally spent. The elderly man allowed the bitter tears he had kept pent up since the day Catherine revealed her secrets to him, to flow freely. 

**__**

Playa de las Vistas Resort

Santa Catalina, Canary Islands 

He had arrived several days ago but decided to enjoy the heat and the solitude of the suite. The ocean was a soothing azure expanse generously adorned with sparkling diamonds of sun-dipped reflections that beckoned like a seductive siren. Soon he would approach the target and bring to an end what should never had started. The man leaned back in his deck chair on the balcony and reveled in the warmth of the day as he took a leisurely sip of the fruity drink the attendant ordered in place of his ennui. The suite had been readied for him however, his presence was achieved under the radar. His bosses were unaware of his mission or even who was here.

Lifting the binoculars from the small table at his elbow, the man peered through the lenses and almost immediately found what he wanted. The target was tanned, tall, muscular and masculine. He was applying a small dollop of suntan lotion on his chest, which attracted the attention of most every woman on the sand as his hand casually passed over each defined pectoral muscle and tantalizingly smoothed the glistening goo over the 6-pack of abdominal muscles. The wrinkled old man watching observed this display with a small satisfied smile--yes, Tristian, enjoy today for tomorrow your world will change forever.

Note: Yep, this is where the story was supposed to end. The reason is I had contemplated another sequel but now I think that should depend on input from the readers. Happy New Year!! 


End file.
